Fool Me Once
by Rainpebbles
Summary: Impala Series Part XI: An old enemy pops up with a proposition just when the crew finds themselves at the brink of bankruptcy and Dean is beyond desperate to keep his crew afloat. Backed into a corner, they take on the job where they find themselves once again in the world of the rich, and of course, stealing from them. Sabriel and Destiel.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: Okay, I'm a little worried about this story, mostly because the episode it's based on was actually one of the least favorites and a little on the boring side. I'll try to spice it up anyway I can though! Maybe I can come up with something good along the way!

leahelisabeth: I totally get what you mean. I didn't ship sabriel at all until I wrote this, and now its becoming just too cute to ignore. Ooh, and sastiel is something I never considered since there are so few fictions of it that are any good. I'm so glad that you're enjoying these though! I had worried about forcing ships on other people XD Hope you like this story!

Eri: Oh, man, I know! Those loose threads are kinda what got me thinking about adding in the later episodes that I have planned that will be filler between the episodes and the movie. I hope to resolve everything! Must have satisfaction with the ending! :D

ship. me: Yay, so glad that you enjoyed it! I wasn't sure that it would meet expectations, but if it is your favorite so far, then I feel more than satisfied!As for the character change up, let's see how well Cas does taking on Inara's role in this next episode XD

Disclaimer: This is seriously becoming some sort of mental abuse for me...I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 1

All around him was flat, dry, and completely barren land. The sand was painfully hot under his toes and the rock he was sitting upon burned his bare skin where it touched. All over he could feel where the sun was cooking him to a nice crisp that would easily make him edible at any sketchy fried chicken stall at some of the lesser markets. Hell, he would totally taste better than alley cat.

Buck naked, Dean sat down on the least sharp rock in sight, no shade as far as the eye could see on this gorramn planet. Lifting his head and squinting into the intense sun, Dean nodded to himself as he took in his surroundings again.

Flatly he started to talk to himself, "Yep…That went well."

He only sounded partially convinced.

* * *

_**Two Days Earlier**_

It was moments like this that Dean felt the most joy. For him, it had always been the simple things in life that were the most precious, not the big in your face material wants and desires of most human beings, but the little things.

Like the new mattress that he had gotten off of the salvage mission last week that practically melted under him. It also came with the perk that it felt good under Cas' back so he really had no excuse not to climb into bed with Dean for a few hours each night.

Little things like just strolling to the kitchen and being able to meet up with Sam along the way and share some boring small talk to fill the 50 second silence as they moved into the dining area. And how Dean, no matter how badly his day went, he could still have the small comfort that there were people still alive who cared and even loved him.

Here was the fundamental difference between Sam and Dean. Sam once thought of the future, of what was to come, of dreams that could be, of ways to alter where they might end up, but Dean…he lived for the present.

It could be as simple as Sam choosing a salad over pizza because he didn't want to become fat, or clog up his arteries while Dean would choose a burger for the immediate reward of taste and pleasure, arteries be damned. Or it could be as serious as how Sam chose to go to law school in hope to end the war through politics and time, and Dean chose to dash off into the war the day that he was old enough to make a difference.

As children, if Sam was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up he would answer lawyer, or doctor, or even a general. Dean would simply answer, "happy".

But all of that was changing. Sam was living for the present, and thankfully not the past. He had Gabriel and he had the Impala and Dean. His life was complete and the most he cared about the future were his arteries and that he still had everyone he cared about safe. And then Dean was finally looking past the bridge of his nose, seeing what could be, what could happen, and he took note.

He no longer would needlessly put himself in danger, he was somewhat wary of what he ate, like he started putting a leaf of lettuce on his protein burgers now, and he even started drinking less alcohol. And he couldn't help but start picturing what his life might be like in the next few years with Cas around.

And he couldn't help but smile as he woke up for the seventh consecutive morning in a row with Cas in his bed.

The lights were off in the room, and by design of the ship and the hatch, no light could stream in, so it was completely dark in their room. The only way Dean knew that Cas was there was the fact that he felt like he was snuggled up to an electric heater that was surprisingly soft, and that he could hear another person's breathing.

Deciding not to be a paranoid bastard, he came to the conclusion that it was Cas and not anyone else on his ship playing a dirty prank and started to nuzzle closer to _his_ electric heater….only to ram his face into something that certainly didn't feel like Cas.

"Hello, Dean," Cas greeted as Dean rudely slammed his face into the back of his book he was reading.

"Cas? What the hell? What are you holding?"

"A book."

"….why?"

Cas sighed and saved his spot with one of Dean's socks as a bookmark, "Because I do not sleep and I need something quiet to do while everyone sleeps," he explained calmly, "You all become like rumbling storm clouds whenever I disturb your sleep cycles."

Dean blinked slowly, taking in the pitch blackness of the room, "Uh…how can you even read?" he asked confused.

Again, Cas answered calmly, "Gabriel taught me."

"No, I mean…never mind," Dean finished. He figured that Cas probably had some implanted night vision goggles thing going on. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he turned his attention back to where he supposed Cas was, probably staring straight at him and noting the drool marks still on his cheek, but for whatever reason, Dean didn't really give a damn.

"So, Cas. Anything special on the agenda today?"

There was a pause of quiet as Cas thought it over, "You have a meeting with Monty today," he offered.

That news made Dean smile. Everyone loved Monty. He was an old Hunter from the war, and a good friend of his dad's. Dean and Sam had kept in contact with him over the years as not only was he loyal and liked the boys, but he was also a damned good fencer in the criminal world. Monty's crew was almost as talented as Dean's at getting certain…special jobs completed in unorthodox ways.

"Awesome. I've been missing him."

Dean felt Cas start fiddling with the blanket edge over his chest. He usually fiddled when he was nervous or bored, and he couldn't be bored with Dean here, so of course the Captain had to ask, "What's up, Cas? You worried about something?"

Cas drew in a shaking breath, "It's just…you trust this Monty. You have fond….feelings in your thoughts and…I wasn't sure if…"

Dean immediately tensed up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cas. There is nothing to worry about! I like Monty and all, but the dude is like…twenty years older than me. And really not that good looking, and he's my dad's friend form the war and…just eww, no."

Dean could practically feel Cas' confusion through the darkness, "Dean, I…I was not asking if you and Monty shared a coital relationship. I was asking if you thought it would be okay if I came along to meet him…get off the ship for a bit…stretch my wings."

"Oh," well that was a lot more understandable. The last 'outing' that Cas had been on was their little jaunt through the core planet hospital, and he was probably too far gone in pain and terror to have really enjoyed that experience. Poor guy hadn't felt the dirt beneath his toes in months. Dean knew that if their positions were reversed, he would have probably gone stir crazy by now. He loved his ship, but you can only breath recycled air for so long.

He glanced up and met Cas' gaze as the other man patiently waited for Dean to give consent. Slowly he reached his hand out to cup the back of Cas' head, pulling him forward until their lips met in a slow, lingering kiss that Dean favored in the morning when he was still waking up.

Dean pulled back and made sure to catch Cas' deep blue eyes,"You promise to stay by my side, and let me know the second that you feel anything wonky?"

Breathlessly, Cas nodded before he dove in for a much more enthusiastic kiss, pared with soft caresses to Dean's arm, clearly very happy that the Captain had basically given him permission to go on a field trip with him.

And like every morning for the last week, they let their hands roam lazily in the small hours of the early morning, trailing over smooth skin, rough scars, coarse hair, leaving butterfly light kisses, nuzzling at necks and nibbling at earlobes...only like every day for the last week, Dean would pull back when it finally became too heated and he felt himself about to lose control. And it was always a battle to pull back.

Dean knew that Cas was there, and he was willing, he had plenty of evidence to tell him that, but something held him back each time, and for the life of him, he wanted it to be anything else than what it was. It was a worry that Cas' mind was fragile, messed up and fooled around with, and Dean could mess it all up by pushing too fast, too soon. There was even that little nagging voice that told him that there was a chance that once Cas was fixed, that he would even want Dean anymore. That he would come to his senses and realize what a mistake he had made.

And Cas knew all of his thoughts, he knew exactly what went through Dean's mind when he pulled back each time, leaving them both still heavy and hot with want. And even more tragic, Cas couldn't offer a truthful reassurance that Dean's worries were unnecessary. He could only promise, that as he was then, what he wanted was just Dean. He would have loved to have lied to Dean, tell him that there was nothing to worry about, but as his brothers had told him his whole life, and as the rest of the crew was quickly becoming aware of...Cas couldn't lie worth a shit.

Until such a time that Cas could convince Dean that with ever ounce of himself, he wanted this with Dean, he would _not_ be the one to pull away. He would keep going until he felt his friend put a distance between them, but he would never pull back himself.

But he had a feeling that if certain events fell into place in the near future, Dean would feel less inclined to continue this behavior.

* * *

An hour later, after the skin exploration with Cas was finished and he had a nice hot shower, Dean strolled into the dining area where most of his crew was gathered sharing the morning meal that Bobby was cooking up. Looked like…seared protein bars and watered down coffee. Great.

He wouldn't complain though. They were all back on rations this week because after all of their money had been pooled to get Sam and Dean back, they were once again broke. They were running out of everything it seemed. For the last three days each of the crew members would report something else that they were short on, and Dean would take note, but there was no money and no jobs to be had at the moment.

Sam and Balthazar had been scouring each and every source they had to find a contact who might have a job for them, but so far they had not gotten a single hit. It was starting to get a bit desperate. Soon they would have to find a port planet and hold land for a few days there until they found something. A last resort as ports were sketchy at best, and Dean was reluctant to put Cas in reaching distance of some of the worst scum of the universe.

This little meeting they had planned with Monty was a quick exchange of hellos, and hopefully picking up some job from him.

At least there were still a few apples left, even if they all had brown bruises peppering their peels like they had been abused or something.

Breakfast was a relatively quiet affair for the Impala crew. Half of them were practically zombie like each morning and had little to offer by ways of conversation, Gabriel being among them so that took down the volume levels as well. Meg would only grunt if she was feeling particularly chatty that morning, Chuck would be blankly staring at the salt shaker, Gabriel would have his face buried in his arms on the table, and Balthazar rarely even got out of bed before eleven.

But towards the end of every meal, Dean would get an idea of what each crew member had planned for the day, and get updates of changes from the night before.

Then at the end of the meal, Dean and Bobby would head down to the infirmary with Cas to give him his first dose of the day. And after breakfast this day, they did just that.

* * *

It was always a quick and simple procedure. Bobby would unlock the drawer that held the syringes, Dean would pull down a couple bottles from the cabinet and take out the right number of pills, and then they would have Cas take his medicine. Simple and straight forward. Dean would never get over how incredible it was to have this medicine for Cas.

His friend was no longer in pain every day, he had more and more sane moments, and Dean was seeing more and more of the real Cas, and he was liking everything that he was seeing so far.

There were three pill medications that they had been giving Cas along with the muscle relaxer. They had only done the shots for the first week, but then they started to notice the toll that some of the side effects were having on him, as well as finding an other issue to be addressed so Bobby whipped up a new dosage that included some drugs that would help ease off some of the issues that sprung up.

One was for the serious nausea that had Cas bent over in the latrine several hours out of the day. Another one was for protecting his liver from the strong muscle relaxer medication, a problem that Bobby said hadn't shown up yet, but had a damn good chance of reeling it's ugly head in the future. And the last was just for stimulating bone density. For whatever reason, Bobby had found in the scan that Cas' bones were extremely brittle. It explained why Cas always felt feather light, Dean thought when he had first been told. It was a miracle really that he hadn't broken his bones a hundred times already. So all of these became part of the daily-do on the Impala.

Mechanically Dean pulled down these three bottles and started counting out the right number of each. Two blue, one yellow, and one grey, but when he got to the blue pills he shook out the bottle, only to see that there were only about eight left in there. Calmly he checked the back of the cabinet to see if there were more bottles lurking in the back…but there were none of that kind left.

"Uh, Bobby? Where are we keeping the rest of the blue pills?"

Laying the syringe down on the counter top, Bobby leaned over Dean's shoulder to peer into the cabinet, "We stored everything we had in this one. You sure there are no more?"

Dean checked again but found nothing.

Bobby sighed and scooped up what Dean had already counted out, "We'll just keep with the same dosage. No sense making him suffer through the next few days if we can just pick up some more later once you talk with Monty." He handed the pills to Cas who swallowed them dutifully. Then he quickly made the injection after rolling up the huge sleeves of Cas' coat.

"The blue ones are just for the nausea, right? Not the ones for his liver," Dean asked worriedly.

"Right, but that don't make 'em any less important. Boy's skinny enough as it is without him upchucking every few hours."

Cas scrunched up his face in displeasure at the thought.

Dean ran his hand trough his hair frustrated and moved over to Cas and squeezed his arm, silently telling him that he would take care of it.

"I thought we stole butt loads of this stuff when we ran our heist. How are we out already?"

Bobby shrugged, "It's been a month and a half since then, and it wasn't one of the fancy ones. It's moderately cheap enough that you were told not to bother. Plus we didn't even know he would need to be treated for nausea for a week. There was no way you could have known," he soothed.

Moderately cheap, thought Dean. He hated the very thought of Cas having to suffer even more, but truth was…they were completely out of cash at this point. It was looking like his meeting with Monty was getting more and more desperate.

He glanced up at Cas, "Okay. Let's go get ready to meet up with Monty. I'm sure once he meets you he'll want to help us out."

He helped Cas hop off the table and led him away while Bobby cleaned up.

* * *

Some tender, and actually a little bit of hidden plot point for you in there if you caught them. Next chapter up tomorrow!


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Here's the next part! Some cute, some past, some plot, and some awesome!

leahelisabeth: Omg! I should check that out then! I am intrigued! :D

Disclaimer: If I owned this I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be sitting here drinking knockoff dr. pepper. Don't get me wrong though, Dr. Thunder is the shiz.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

The day had started out so well, waking up with Cas and having little to no worries in the world, only to have his heart sink as reality sets back in. Thankfully he at least had the meeting with Monty to look forward to. And even better was that Cas for once got to come along. It was like taking your…significant other to work day, and Cas was always made their little adventures so much more fun.

Like that time that Cas had started "interrogating" each and every lackey at a simple drop off. Dean practically wet his pants when Cas told him he was trying to play it "bad cop". Clearly they would have to watch less crime programs in their spare time.

Sam and Gabriel had already started to limit their televid time to only an hour a day because it was starting to "effect their brains". Gabriel was scolding Dean, saying that Castiel had an incredibly impressionable mind and before long he would start to mold his behavior after the characters in the shows they watched.

The crew also quickly grew tired of the endless amount of quotes that Dean would share like an inside joke with Cas at all the meals. It was nice to see them share something special, but it was another to drive the rest of them to madness with bad impression after bad impression.

Gabriel was starting to become concerned that Cas would start acting like one of the nurses in the medical drama that he and Dean had been avidly watching together. And Sam was starting to worry about Dean's brain melting out hit ears from the badly written episodes that Dean seemed to favor.

But Dean knew better. The only risky part to their watching too much televid was Cas sitting too close to the screen as no amount of "you're going to burn your retinas out" would pull him back. It was the only time that the two of them could forget everything and fall into another world of long lost evil twin brothers and copious amounts of amnesia to share between all characters. No risk there. Just the perfect excuse to get some alone time with Cas without the crew making gossip or hinting at other more intimate activities that could be going on.

Their shuttle touched down across a flat vista of shattered rock, a barren and lunar looking planet that wasn't actually inhabited. It was one of those terraformed planets that nobody actually started living on because it was in a poor part of the universe where it only got about 7 hours of light a day all year round.

The only thing about the planet keeping it from being a fro-zone was its immensely active inner core which released some less than pleasant smells most of the time, All and all, it was the perfect place for criminals to meet up and conduct some business in private. They just happened to arrive during the frequent night time, further blanketing them in safety under the darkness.

Around them were bustling men as they lifted, hauled, pushes and shoved crates through the deep dust, grunting in strain, but not a single complaint heard. As if Monty would allow a bunch of weaklings to work for him. Actually, Dean knew for sure that quite a few of Monty's men were actually retired Hunters from the war that he had adopted when they found themselves without a home when the Garrison won.

Dean and Sam had almost been some of Monty's party of lost boys, but at Dean's choice they declined, not wanting to stick around a bunch of old friends when the death of their father was still so raw. Luckily Monty had never taken offense, and still happily met up with the brothers whenever they were in the same quadrant.

And of course, he always greeted them with enthusiasm and joy, "Dean Winchester! You Gooey Cookie you! Come 'ere boy!"

With a shit eating grin on his face, the huge man rushed up to great the elder Winchester literally with his arms open and gripped him tight in a giant bear hug, almost lifting Dean off the ground. The man was incredibly huge, built like a gorilla and at least two inches taller than Sam. As a child Dean could remember how he would place his hand on Dean's head and his sausage fingers would drape past his nose.

He was practically beaming as he looked Dean over, then he slapped Dean playfully on the shoulder, almost making the Captain teeter over, "Damn, boy. You just get purtier every time I see you. Taking after your mama, for sure."

Monty was one of the few alive who remembered Mary, and one of the even fewer who were allowed to talk about her without getting punched by Dean.

"That's good to hear. We can't all be as ugly as you, Mont-man," Dean replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I proudly hold that position! Now, what did you need to come all the way out here for? I could have met up with you next week and we would have more time to catch up. As it is, I'm about to take off."

Nodding seriously Dean answered, "Well, things have been a little slow and we find ourselves in a bit of a rut. Thought you might have some honest smuggling for us in the way of a job."

Monty seemed to ponder over it, "It has been a real slow last few months for everyone. Seems that crime hit a standstill for whatever reason and ere'bodies too scared to make a move. Damnest thing, really." He scratched at his head ponder ing the strange phenomina.

Dean did his best to look as clueless as him, hiding the fact that he had more than an inkling of what might have slowed down the crime in the area. When a big boss goes down, all the mice scatter to their corners until they think the cat has left the building.

Trying to change the subject, Dean leaned in closer to Monty and squinted in confusion, "Monty…something's different. What did you do?"

Monty smiled proudly, "Yup! Som'thins different!"

"You look…there's something…," Monty started to stroke his chin and Dean finally got it, "The beard! You shaved off the soup-catcher!"

Again Monty beamed, "Yup!"

Dean slapped his hands together and laughed, "Oh, man! I thought you were gonna take that ugly chin-wig to the grave!"

Behind him, Cas started to emerge timidly from the shadows having heard Dean's laughter and thinking that it might be safe to come out now. Dean saw this an immediately compared it to a kitten peeking around the corner.

With a loud chortle, Monty drew Dean's attention back, "So did I, so did I. But uh…she didn't much like my whiskers…" he said shyly and Dean caught it right away this time.

"She?" Dean prodded.

"Bridget!" Monty called out abruptly before turning back to Dean, "What the hell am I thinking, I got to introduce you to the missus!"

That surprised and pleased Dean to no end, Monty was an amazing guy who deserved an amazing girl, "Oh, Monty! You've fallen from our noble bachelor ranks?!"

"Damn right! Damned good cook, damned good looking, and handy with a wrench if you know what I mean!"

Dean smiled obligingly and looked behind himself again to check in on Cas. It seemed like he emerged another foot or so, but was still half hidden in shadow, but Monty finally took notice of their shy newcomer.

"Hello there! Dean, this one of yours?" He called out cheerfully.

Dean beckoned Cas forward and gestured for him to come to his side, pulling him in close as he got there. Monty's eyes widened as he took in Dean's obvious attention to the young man.

"Dean, it seems that you have fallen as well. Who is this little angel you have at your side?"

Dean nudged Cas, silently telling him that it was okay.

Like a shy toddler peeking out from behind his protector's leg, Cas reached out his hand, "Hello, Monty. My name is Castiel."

"He and I are…an item," Dean clarified for Monty. Not feeling as awkward as he thought he would telling one of his dad's oldest friends that he was finally honestly involved with someone.

Instead of grasping Cas' hand to shake, Monty moved in for a hug that actually lifted Cas right off the sand and spun him around. It was pretty damn comical to see how Cas' eyes bugged out as he was squeezed tight by a stranger.

"Any lover of Dean is a damn treasure of a friend of mine! It just good to know that John's boy found someone special. Takes a damn special person," Monty said kindly once he had set Cas back on the ground, and a bright blush spread over Cas' whole face making Dean smile fondly. Damn straight Cas was special.

And because of his old friend's welcoming attitude, Dean felt comfortable with what he was about to say, "He is special Monty. In more ways than one…and we really need some help here. Cas is…he was hurt by the Garrison and we just really need some help."

"Garrison? Was he a Hunter too?"

Dean shook his head, but Cas beat it to him, "Not a hunter. Just a victim. Took out my bits and put in their own. It has been…most unpleasant."

Now Monty wasn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but even he caught to odd timber in Cas' voice that right away translated as someone with a few screws loose. Luckily he was one of the most understanding criminals in the 'verse.

"You listen here, boy. You and Dean ever need a hand, all you have to do is ask, and we will provide. We may have nothing, but we have a damn lot of nothing to go around."

Dean was about to respond, but Monty's eyes lit up as he caught sight of something in the distance.

"Oh, Dean! Here she comes! I wasn't looking to get hitched, but she kinda swept me off my feet. Hey, Bridget! Over here!" He waved at a form that was behind a bunch of his men and the stacks of crates.

"She must be a rare specimen indeed, to get such a playboy like you to be bound down," Dean teased, not noticing how Cas tensed up beside him. He tried to catch a glimpse of the approaching woman, in his mind he was picturing a lovely plump woman who knew good food, and had all the warmth of love that a woman should have. As Dean said before, Monty wasn't much to look at, so it would take someone with a lot of heart to hitch it with his old friend.

Or it would take a fucking demon in disguise.

From behind the bustling men, Bela stepped out into the clearing and her eyes met Dean's. The smile she had been sporting slipped away the moment she laid gaze upon the Captain.

Not even pausing a beat, she dropped to the ground and swept her foot under one of Monty's passing men, tripping him and pulling his gun from his holster as he fell, and then pirouetted over his body and coming out of the spin with a gun locked on Dean's head, just as Dean's own gun flashed from his own holster and he pushed Cas behind him with his free arm.

They stopped in a frozen tableau of an ancient western stand-off, guns trained on the other's skull.

Monty in all his patient brilliance stood between them, nonplussed, "So, uh…you guys have met."

* * *

Yay! Plot and some more hidden plot too! Gonna make you guys pay attention! XD


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Okay, so again, like all the stories I have to finagle odd emotions around to different characters to make the whole thing work. So if any of you recall, Anna would have been the pissed off one and it was a huge plot point, but of course I have to mess around with that. So if things seem odd, its _totally_ intentional! I promise all will be revealed.

leahelisabeth: Same here! I hardly remember anything from this one at all! We'll see how it turns out ;)

ship. me: Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: can't even afford kraft mac n cheese over the store brand...what do you think?

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Dean would have loved to have taken time to feel bad for Monty as he stood there with a gun trained on his "wife's" head, but he was far too livid at the moment to even look his way. This bitch had done all sorts of wrong to him.

First, she totally played him for a fool by sneaking onto his ship and convincing him that they were married. Then she drugs him into a drooling stupor, hurts his little brother with a kick to his head, scared the shit out of him by drugging Cas to the point where everyone thought the worst, tried to kill his whole crew, and what pissed him off the most…

Trying to send his baby to a damn chop shop.

Many nights he had lost sleep over his decision to not kill her when he had the chance, and now here he was staring her in the face again, wanting nothing better than to cut it off with his knife and present it to his crew as a trophy.

She still held her own gun steady, barrel aimed right between Dean's eyes, but her gaze kept being drawn to the space right behind him, where the Captain was doing his best to block Cas from her and any danger. He might have had a moment of jealousy that not only she had been first to kiss Cas, also that she seemed more interested in Cas right now, but he was far too furious to think of anything else.

And poor Monty just stood there watching the boy he knew from diapers and his wife having a stand-off, "Uh…Dean? You wanna tell me why you got a piece trained on my wife?"

"She isn't your wife, Monty!" Dean growled.

Confusion passed over his round face, "What? I married her, didn't I?"

Cas looked sadly at the big man, "That may be so, but she also—"

He was cut off before he could finish, because in that instant that Cas' eyes flicked over to Monty, Bela scissored up a high kick, knocking the gun out of Dean's hand. Then she dropped low on the ground to trip the Captain up, coming up with a gun pointed at Cas.

Before she could react, and before Cas had a chance to unleash whatever mojo he had ready, Dean sprang up from the dirt, sweeping his arm up and knocking the gun from her hand and ruining her aim. Grabbing her thin wrist in his hand, he squeezed as hard as humanly possible, happy to see her fingers instantly turn purple, and pulled her close in order to pin her other arm.

Sadly he forgot that she was just as dangerous in close combat as she was from a distance, and as soon as Dean had her pinned, she threw her head back, smashing her skull into Dean's nose painfully.

"Gah! Sunovabitch!"

Blood instantly started to pour down his face as Dean staggered back, buffeted by a flurry of punches and kicks from Bela.

Monty looked horrified, "Bridget!"

In the blur of motion, Dean fired one punch of his own right back and catching her on the chin, and finally knocking her to the ground.

Even more horrified, "Dean!"

Bela landed on her back, mostly unfazed, and instantly rolls for the gun that Dean had knocked from her hands a short distance away. Just as she almost reached it, Dean sails in on top of her, tackling her flat.

"Get off!" she hissed at him.

Both Monty and Cas looked on, a bit speechless for the moment. Monty was still trying to process that his sweet little wife, and the little sweet boy he had known for years were wrestling in the dirt at his feet. A quick glance over to Dean's strange friend showed a face of complete indifference, like he had expected this behavior from Dean with no doubt or judgement. Monty was just plain perplexed.

In Cas' mind, he was going over all of the injuries that he would have to heal in Dean when this was over…as well as cataloging the injuries that Bela was receiving and that he wouldn't heal, and of course enjoying the estimated amounts of pain and recovery time she would have to go through if Dean didn't kill her this night.

Fed up with Dean trying to get her pinned into the dust, she swung an elbow back, hitting the side of Dean's head hard. This made the Captain reel back as she rolled on top of him, hands stretching across his throat. Taking a note from her book, Dean reached his own hands up and squeezed them around her neck.

They continued this for a vicious beat until Monty seemed to have finally had enough, "Gorramnit! Now that's enough you two!" he roared.

With his giant, gorilla like hands he lifted them both off of the ground by the collars of their shirts, both of them still snarling and scratching at each other like fighting cats, both breathless and dusty.

"Now what the hell is goin' on here? Waddya mean she ain't my wife?" Monty demanded.

Cas had moved over to gently start dabbing the sleeve of his coat at Dean's bloody nose, only to have his hands batted away and Dean swipe his own sleeve under his nose, messily spreading the blood in a streak over his face.

"She isn't your wife because….because she's married to me!" Dean finished lamely.

Bela huffed loudly, "Don't listen to him!"

Monty scratched at his head, "Married to you? I thought you said you were with Castiel here!"

Dean stuttered, "I, uh, I am! It's just…kind of messed up situation, but the fact that she ain't your wife is true! About half a year back, out at Triumph settlement I met her. Only she went by "Bela" then. She hitched me by surprise, got on my ship, and tried to steal it out from under me…She's as cold as ice and dead crazy on top of it!"

"You're a liar, Dean Winchester!" Bela hissed at him, and behind her Monty sucked in a gasp before stalking in front of his "wife", meeting her eyes with a fury of fire behind them.

"Oh, Dean's a lot of things. But a liar, he ain't. All the terrible thick we been through, he ain't never lied to me, not even once…And I never got to telling you his name as I recall," he grunted at her.

Finally Bela dropped all pretense, knowing the jig was up, "Oh, hell. Fine. Be like that," she muttered darkly, all declarations of innocence gone. She distanced herself from Monty and started to neaten herself up, patting off some of the dust, brushing her hair back, and just trying to gain _some _dignity back.

And Monty, big teddy bear Monty was doing his damnest to keep it together, but Castiel could easily feel and see the sorrow in the man's beady eyes.

He came up behind the man, almost a whole foot shorter than him and patted him awkwardly on the shoulder, only to be swept up in a crushing hug and having Monty shove his face into his shoulder.

"She said she loved me for me…" he mumbled into Cas' coat.

"And it feels like the sun has gone out and no candle can replace it, but do not fret…the sun will rise again," Cas soothed gently, if not incredibly awkwardly.

Then Dean in all his tender frankness stepped up, "Don't worry Monty, she says that to all the boys. Just be happy you found out before she turned around a fucked you and your crew."

Monty sniffed loudly, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy she didn't get a chance to fuck me n' my crew."

* * *

Around them the dust billowed and tossed about the air as the engines to Monty's ship fired up, whipping a small dust could around the figures of Cas, Dean and Bela. All three faces were scrunched up in distaste as the ship ascended above them, clearly not at all happy with the way things were turning out.

Bela stood with her thin arms crossed, looking up irritably. She may not have liked Monty or his men with their boring, endless war stories, but they were taking off with her last shot at something big…well almost last shot, the thought to herself as she glanced over at Winchester.

As the lights of the ship loomed over them, Dean finally let Cas start dabbing at his face again, wiping away the last bits of blood one his nose had finally clogged back up, but both of their gazes were drawn up when Monty's voice came loud over the ship's loudspeaker, tainted and choked with hurt and sorrow.

"Damn you, Bridget! Damn you to Hades! You broke my heart in a million pieces! You made me love you, and then y—I SHAVED MY BEARD FOR YOU, DEVIL WOMAN!"

The P.A cut off and the ship finally flew away, prompting Bela to roll her eyes at the dramatics, "Whatever. Bad enough I had to suffer with the smell, couldn't stand the gorramn beard on top of it all…"she mumbled to herself.

Both Cas and Dean sent her a heated glare from where they were keeping a safe distance away by the crates left behind. It was taking every ounce of self control from Dean to not go over there and finish the choking session he had started. But he wasn't a cold blooded killer, and he was thinking it might just be safer to play somewhat "nice" with her as he was still there with Cas, and after the recently renewed wanted alerts for the Novaks, well, he didn't want to temp her in any way.

But it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his hands to himself now since Monty had taken off before Dean could ask him for help. Now they had no job, no cash, and he had no way of getting more of the blue pills for Cas. He sighed heavily and Cas, probably knowing exactly what Dean was thinking about, ceased his dabbing and gripped his shoulder instead, steadying him. He hadn't even gotten a chance to finish healing Dean's nose yet.

They watched her every movement as she made her way over to the bag that Monty had so kindly left behind, not letting their eyes drift in case she pulled out another gun. She dropped down to unzip her bag in a furious rip of movement, and roughly rooting around inside, like the contents were just something else that had gotten in her way and ruined her night.

Cautiously, Dean brought up his pistol, waiting for her to whip out another piece, "You're going to want to pull your claw out of that bag, nice and slow. I'm not taking any chances with you."

She sent him a bitchface that would do Sam proud, "Relax. It's not like Monty would have packed me any weapons after the show you put on."

Slowly she made a show of pulling a small cylinder out of the bag, and cracked it open. From where Dean sat, it looked a damn lot like lipstick, and that was a weapon in itself, "Just freshening up," she snarled half-heartedly.

She went to apply some, but before it could even touch her lips, Cas was suddenly in front of her, roughly snatching it out of her hands and then stalking back over to Dean, "Dean, how important is lipstick to you?" he asked.

Without missing a beat, Dean replied, "Not very."

And instantly the lipstick, metal casing and all, was crushed in Cas' hand, turning it to crumbles of red and copper casing. They both smiled sweetly over at her, venom in their gazes. They had both suffered because of that damn lipstick. Cas thinking that he had lost Dean, and Dean thinking that he had lost Cas…damn straight they would crush that shit.

She rolled her eyes, "Aw, isn't that cute. You two _did_ end up together. Got your little couple intimidation routine all set up. Precious."

"Yeah, yeah. We're a regular married couple, now turn around so I can make sure you don't have another one of those things on you anywhere," he growled, hating that he would have to touch her for this. He handed Cas the gun to hold on her until they were finished.

Surprisingly, she turned around with only a touch of impatience. Dean moved in and started to frisk her, trying to keep it businesslike, but of course she started to respond in a way that crackled with sexual tension. Much to his displeasure and Cas'. He could practically hear Cas' growl from where he stood, and feel the static in the air cackled and make their hair stand on end.

But Bela didn't seem to mind at all, "Oh…yeah…just like old times," she purred, making sure to wink at Castiel while she started to move seductively at Dean's touch.

Dean tried to still her with a rough shove, "We don't have any old times. Just keep still before I rip out your teeth," he hissed. He'd be damned before she made Cas feel uncomfortable with what had almost happened half a year before.

Her response was to writhe even more obviously into him as he finished his frisking.

"Mmmmm. You missed a spot," she said seductively, only to be shoved roughly yet again and she stumbled forward a step, the smile on her face finally falling.

"Can't miss a spot you've never been," Cas told her smugly, winking right back at her in a way that told her that Cas could have missed plenty on Dean.

Flightily she turned back to Dean, not with anger, but a practiced emotion, like she was still playing at Dean as if they had a troubled, but still real marriage, "Marriage is hard work, Dean. I know it…but that doesn't mean we have to give up. Sure we've had our spats, maybe I made some bad decisions along the way…"

Dean couldn't believe it, "Oh, you are a tweaked one, you are. You really think I'm going to fall for that? Hell, I barely fell for it back then, before I knew what a snake you were."

"Well, face it, hubby, I'm really hot," she purred, but she was again roughly shoved from behind as Cas "brushed" by her, moving up to Dean's side and pulling his partner in for an amazingly possessive kiss. As much as Dean was enjoying himself, he still made sure to keep one eye on Bela.

With a wet and very loud smack, Cas pulled back and sent Bela a smug look before trudging off in the direction of the shuttle, "I'll be waiting, Dean." And he stalked off.

"Alright, you heard the man. I've got to get going before my real missus gets impatient. So start walking" he ordered.

A look of pissed off confusion passed over her features, "Walking? Walking where?" she demanded.

Absently Dean waved a hand around, "I don't care. Pick a direction, and don't you dare turn around."

A pout sprouted from her plump lips, "Come on, Dean…" she whined.

He reeled on her, "Hey! This is my scrap of nowhere and you had the gall to show up and fuck up _my_ plans for the day. You go on and find your own nothing before I ruin _your_ day even more."

"You can't just leave me here, on this lifeless piece of crap moon. It's fucking uninhabited!"

"Sure I can!" Dean yelled back at her, completely unconcerned.

"I'll die"

"Well, as a courtesy, you might start getting busy on that, 'cause all this chatter isn't doing me any kindness."

With a defiant pout, Bela planted herself by her duffle bag, seemingly done with the full court press, more herself now than Dean had ever seen, "Why don't you just go ahead and shoot me then" she asked wearily, almost as if she were truly impatient for Dean to do so.

Dean considered it for one self satisfying moment, "I dunno. Why didn't you shoot me? Back there when you first got a gun on me and before Monty figured out you were a dirty rotten liar?" he asked, truly curious.

She gave a condescending sigh, "You and Monty, you fought in the war together, right?"

Dean nodded.

"I could smell that. The war buddy bond is a tough one to crack. I knew if I shot you I'd lose Monty anyway. Plus, your freaky little bed bug over there would have totally gotten the jump on me. He's just ain't right…but all in all, you just had the better hand of cards this time," she confessed.

"It isn't a hand of cards, it's a life. I've got a better life than you, and I've got people who will back me up."

Bela flashed him a tight and insincere smile, "Well, since you're such a nice guy and all, then you should give me a ride…"

Dean laughed bitterly, "Woman, you are completely off your nut. After everything you did to me? To my crew? You think that I would put them all in danger again by bringing you aboard?"

Bela stood up, desperation in her eyes that seemed almost real, "I won't make trouble. You can stick me in one of those crates if you like. Just don't leave me he—"

Dean shoots, the bullet kicking up the dust about three feet from her. Her response was to stick out her tongue at him, and he shot out another bullet, two feet away this time. She snatched up her bag angrily and started to trudge off, truly pissed, calling out at Dean as she stalked away.

"This was all your fault, you know! I had the perfect crime lined up!"

Dean laughed loudly, "Sure! You were stealing a nice guy's beard!"

"No you moronic duncewad! A million-square job. The big time. I was going to cut Monty and his crew in, but you screwed that royal," she hissed.

Dean was only half listening as he kept his gun trained on her before he was going to join Cas, "Odd, but I don't think I'll be losing sleep over it," he informed her in a bored tone, gesturing with his barrel for her to hurry on her way.

But she wasn't about to back down now. Thanks to what she had overheard on her approach to Monty, before everything went to hell, she knew that Dean was desperate, "I've go the layout, entrance codes, believe me, this thing practically robs itself," she pushed.

Dean wasn't buying it, "Bye now," he said shortly, bringing up his gun again to make the dust dance at her feet.

"I'm handing you a fortune on a gold platter, sweetheart!...And I'm giving you a way to help out your little freaky friend over there. I know you need money…"

And the net was cast, and Dean was ensnared.

* * *

Ah ha, plot! I knew you were in there somewhere!


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: AHHHH! SO SAD RIGHT NOW! My laptop died a couple of days ago taking 7 written chapters with it, including this one! So the delay was me trying to re-write everything, but as you can imagine, it was super tragic to lose all of that hard work. But, I'm back on track (sort of) and should be able to post regularly this coming week :) But seriously, sorry about the wait .

leahelisabeth: possessive dean! and cas! are super super cute! I had to write some in for this story just cause XD And Bela will soooo get what's coming to her, I promise! :D

Disclaimer: I 'dis' this 'claim'

* * *

CHAPTER 4

Twenty minutes later, Dean stormed onto the shuttle, brushing by Cas and moving straight for the comm. box, practically ripping it from the wall, "This is your Captain, we're on our way back." He almost growled into the mic.

To those on the Impala, they scrunched up their noses in confusion, all hearing the blatant unhappiness in his voice.

Cas watched as Dean trudged back outside for a moment, only to start pushing a heavy and large crate up the ramp. If it weren't for the permanent scowl on his face, and the rough kick he gave the crate once it was placed in the shuttle, a normal person would have ignored it all, but Cas was far from normal.

He only needed to stare at the box a moment before turning a startled expression back at Dean, opening his mouth to argue, but Dean cut him off before he could say anything.

He held up a hand, "Don't. Just, don't," he said crossly, but he forgot that Cas wasn't one to just back down.

"Dean, this can't be an intelligent choice…"

"Hell, don't you think I know that? I'm not looking for smart…I'm looking for something to help us. Can you trust me enough to go along with this?" Dean almost begged, his eyes pleading at Cas to not make him explain his intentions with this.

Now, Cas trusted Dean with every fiber of his being. However unorthodox his methods, Dean never let him down, and Cas would in turn listen to Dean in this…but this was different since the last time they took this whore on their ship Dean hadn't listened to his warnings and they were almost all killed.

Granted, things had changed greatly since that last time. They were bound in ways that breached normal human understanding, and emotions and trust went deeper than a conscious agreement to obey. He could tell that Dean was far from happy with what he was doing, but he also felt with all his heart that what he was doing was their only choice, that if this all went to plan then Dean wouldn't have to worry about procuring more of the blue pills for him.

Cas hated it when Dean worried about him…and the nausea was truly unpleasant as well…

However…this was one of Dean's more incredibly unorthodox plans and it was bound to cause a bit of a ruckus back on the ship. Clearly Dean was relying on Cas' ability to read him if this was going to work. It greatly worried Cas that Dean was choosing this particular path, and he just knew that this would be rocky for not only them, but the crew as well. This had the potential to hurt Dean's and his fledgling relationship, something that Cas was terrified of and somewhat angry that Dean was considering knowing the consequences.

His thoughts were a chaotic war of wanting to trust Dean and wanting to protect the crew. Cas sighed loudly, glancing once more at the box, "Every time you receive a special box, the surprises that come out of it are usually far from pleasant."

Dean snorted, "Well, there was that one time that something awesome came out."

"I was naked."

"Like I said. Awesome."

* * *

As smooth as a trained pilot, Dean maneuvered the shuttle into its pocket on the Impala, the airlocks embracing in a loud click. Exchanging one last conspirital glance between them, the two men left the shuttle to exit and find almost all of the crew, only Gabriel absent as he prepared the next navigation chart and Anna who was probably doing her nails or something.

They all had leather gloves on their hands, and expectant looks on their faces as they greeted their returning crew. Of course they were all still hopeful that Dean's sour tone on the comm. wasn't that they didn't get any packages to deliver, but a glance behind the Captain and into the shuttle didn't show stacks of crates. They all relaxed their stances, crestfallen.

Then they caught sight of their faces. Sam had no idea what could have happened in the short two hours that they were gone, but from where he was standing, it looked like their honeymooning, obnoxiously perfect couple had their first fight.

The two stood a complete foot away from each other, odd since they had a tendency to rub shoulders even in the largest of rooms. Cas held a scowl on his face that no one had seen for a long time, not since he had still been suffering from those horrible back pains, and Dean wore one to match. And Dean's jaw was twitching, a sure sign that he was pissed ten times to Sunday.

And if those weren't evidence enough, there was Dean's bloody nose that stood out starkly, along with the incredibly dusty clothes.

"Uhhh…I'm guessing we won't be needing to do any heavy lifting?" Sam ventured awkwardly.

"One crate. It's in the back. Don't worry about tossing it around. Nothing fragile," Dean said gruffly, his voice a little nasally due to the congealed blood around his nostrils.

"Yes, you may toss it over the railing if you are of a mind," Cas added darkly, practically spitting out the words and making the rest of the crew startle at the bitterness.

Oh, this is not good, Sam thought to himself and exchanged glances with Balthazar. Both of them were a bit surprised that their brothers could go from love birds to growling puppies in all of two hours.

Nobody made a move to go retrieve the crate, mostly because in order to do so, they would have to pass through the wall of quarrelling lovers.

Of course Gabriel chose that moment to arrive, "Whoa, Cap! Don't tell me you got in a fight with Monty!" he exclaimed, not noticing the wince from the crew at the mention of Dean's face.

Chuck gasped, latching on to the hope that maybe the Captain and Cas weren't fighting, like a kid hoping his parents still loved each other and weren't getting a divorce, "Oh, is that it!? But I thought we loved Monty!" he leaned over to whisper to Sam, voice completely confused, "Don't we love Monty?" It was hard to keep track of who was an enemy and who was a 'frenemy' now.

Sam rolled his eyes, blessing Chuck with one of his more favored bitchfaces, the 'Are you kidding me?' face, "Chuck, if Dean had a fight with that Happy and Hairy Giant, we'd be in the dirt right about now scooping up Dean's teeth."

Dean let out another growl and stomped down the ramp, holding them all in an even glare, but not even glancing Cas' way.

"You know what? I don't really want to talk about this. Now we all have chores to get done, so everyone shut up and do them before I take away dessert," he warned.

Hesitantly, Gabriel stepped forward, fearful that he might actually lose his nightly sweet, "Uh, Captain? I think Anna was looking for you…," Dean didn't stop and just continued to walk away, "Uh, okay then…you can handle it later I guess," the pilot finished lamely.

As soon as Dean was out of sight they all turned their attention to Cas who flinched under all their gazes.

"You want to share with the rest of the class, baby brother?" Balthazar asked gently. He had thought things had been going so well between Cassy and Dean, hell, he was already pondering what kind of flowers to get for their wedding, and now they were fighting? Would this do anything to Cassy's fragile psyche?

Cas fidgeted with the sleeves of his coat, "Uh, the essence of lying is in deception, not in words, but I must say nothing is as quite as strenuous than keeping up the deception," he finishes awkwardly before dashing off.

The crew stood there for a moment, letting the comment sink in. For the moment they were all at a loss, but like with all things that Cas said, they had a habit of making sense eventually. Boy was practically a horoscope in his own right.

They moved in to the shuttle to move the singular crate, but they decided not to toss it over the railing as Cas suggested. Just as a precaution.

* * *

Without waiting for an invitation, Dean stepped into Anna's shuttle and standing ramrod straight at the door, waiting for her to speak instead of plopping himself down on her couch like he usually did.

Ever observant, Anna mentally sighed at the defensive posture, and aggressive glare at the wall. Seems there was trouble in paradise. She smiled coyly to herself, sensing that maybe it was time for her and Dean to have another little chat.

But the Captain was even more impatient than usual, "You were looking for me," he almost snapped, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

Anna was seated at the small table, preparing a kettle of tea, her whole attitude exuding formal, inviting, and calm emotion, but it didn't seem to even Dean's temper in any way. Odd…that usually helped a bit.

"I was, care to sit?" She offered.

He looked like that was the very last thing he would want to do, but he half keeled on the shuttle floor next to the table.

"I was hoping to talk a little business. Would you like some tea?" Please take the tea, she pleaded silently, it would do to sooth whatever nerves had been frayed.

Dean sensed the trap and stood up again slowly, "Okay…what's the game?" he asked suspiciously.

She looked up at him confused, "I offered you tea…"

"After inviting me into your shuttle, of your own free will, which makes me more than a little skittish."

She rolled her eyes at the dramatics, "Dean, I was just trying to be hospitable…"

"You were trying to gut me!"

"…What?"

"You were trying to get me to spill my guts, and I'm telling you now, it ain't gonna happen, so stop using your…feminine wiles. Your Companions training, your some-might-say uncanny ability to make a man all sweaty and/or compliant, of which I have had just about enough of today," Dean stated with finality and started to hedge towards the door.

Anna's eyes widened at the outburst, "Um, maybe this isn't the best time…"

"It's a fine time! Just…just talk plain, is all I'm asking. I'm done with riddles and deception…"Dean wearily sat down on the couch.

"Okay…Did something happen with Castiel?" she asked eventually.

"We're fine, stop changing the subject. Tell me why you needed me here."

She steeled herself, "I'm not sleeping with you Dean."

A beat passed.

"Uh, no, I think you may be right on that one. I think I might have noticed if you were. My keenly trained senses and all…plus I'm pretty sure that Cas would have screeched until _both _my ears fell off if that were the case," he replied, completely at a loss for where she was going with this.

"And I agree, but there remains the issue that I am not conducting affairs with anyone on this ship."

"….Listen, Anna, if you have a crush on Balthazar or something you have to just step up to the plate and—"

She cut him off, "No! What I'm saying is that we are all suffering from a lack of _business_ on this ship, and I also have been unable to conduct my affairs! I haven't had a client in three weeks. "

Frustrated, Dean stood up from the couch and leaned over her, "We go where the work is! I can't help that you've got a dry spell going on!"

"There are all kinds of worlds where both of us could work. We used to visit them, remember?"

Dean did remember, but she knew why that had changed. They stopped visiting those worlds the moment that the Novaks came aboard. Planets like that were the perfect place for some ignorant do-gooder to spot one of the brothers and turn them into the feds. They were working under the radar, and he thought that Anna understood that.

"Ee-chee shung-hoo-shee, are you saying that I should risk Cas so that you can get it on?" (Let's take a deep breath)

She shook her head, "I'm not saying that we should take Cas out for a stroll through the Garrison station, but I am saying that maybe we should consider other options. Obviously what we are doing right now isn't working. We're running on fumes right now, and we all have heard by now that Cas is running low on his meds. For the sake of everyone…we know you're worried about him, but don't forget you have a whole crew to worry about as well," she finished with a deep breath, waiting for Dean to snap.

But he didn't. She could see him tossing around thoughts in his head. She wasn't sure what exactly he was thinking, she wasn't Cas after all, but he wasn't blowing up yet.

He seemed to gather himself before responding, "I never forget my crew…" he started and she balked.

"Dean, I wasn't accusing you of anything, it's just—"

"Hey, no, if things get to that point then I'll have Gabe set course for Planet of the Lonely Rich and Appropriately Hygienic Man. We can park there for a month if it'll help."

"Dean…"

He ignored her and continued, "But I'm still Captain here, and I'll decide when that is. After I exhaust each and every other choice we have. I'll see you at dinner," and he left Anna standing alone in her shuttle, wondering how, with all her training and calming tricks she had managed to tick off the Captain even more.

* * *

Of course Dean didn't get far before Sam caught up with him.

His little brother was all about getting up in Dean's emotional well being, and he wasn't about to let that little display by the shuttle get by without some sort of explanation. He had been watching Dean and Cas interact with each other for the last few weeks, both in the blissful world of a happy break, and somehow in two hours that had completely disappeared? Sam wasn't buying it.

"Dean! You want to tell me what's going on? I mean, what's up with earlier? Why is Cas suddenly scowling at any poor inanimate object that happens to catch his eye?"

His brother tensed up and punched his fist into his hand, "You know, maybe you all should focus more on the fact that we are nearly bankrupt…again, and that we are in desperate need of a job, instead of gossiping over my love life!"

Even though Sam sensed that there was something his brother was hiding, he also sensed that Dean was about at the end of his tether and pulled back a bit, "Uh, okay. Then tell me about what Monty said. Did he have anything for us?"

"No," Dean answered curtly.

Sam nodded, "Okay, then if that fell through, then what's our next plan of action."

"I'm working on something", Dean replied, not giving any further details.

"Well, if the criminal world is on the fritz, then maybe we should try another avenue for a bit," Sam offered.

"Now you're trying to turn us on the straight and narrow?"

"Dean, one of the best jobs we've ever pulled was on a central planet!"

"Yeah, and we almost lost Cas and Gabe!"

It was a sore subject for both of them, but neither could argue that they got the greatest take from that job that they had ever had in their criminal life.

"Okay, then what about the last job that your criminal mastermind got us? What was it again, Dean? What was it that we snuck past the Garrison to transport?" Sam prodded gently, pulling out all stops in this. He knew as well as the rest of the crew that there were in fact a good many jobs that they could be taking on, but because of certain…restraints that Dean had imposed, they couldn't take on any of them because of "too high a risk factor".

Dean jumped to his own defense, "We made a perfectly decent amount of cash—"

"What was the cargo, Dean?"

Dean's face turned red, half with anger, half with embarrassment, "They were dolls, you know that!"

Sam nodded sagely, "Yup, they were little geisha dolls with big heads that wobbled."

"Hey, people love those!" Dean defended.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Yes, Dean. People loved the little dolls, and our cut was next to nothing. All it got us was gas money. We need to stop all of this petty crime—"

"Petty?" Dean asked, suddenly clearly offended.

Sam winced, "Dean…you have to understand that we haven't been after serious work in a while and—"

"Serious work? You wanna know what I…," Dean stopped himself suddenly.

"What?" Sam asked, now a bit concerned with his brother's erratic behavior.

"Nothing," he replied and then walked away, this time leaving Sam alone in the corridor.

* * *

When he knew he would be alone, Dean descended the stairs into the cargo bay. Quickly he scanned the boxes and crates around the hold, his eyes falling upon the one from the moon. He stalked over to it angrily and grabbed a crowbar, quickly prying off the lid and leaning over the edge and peering in, a look of distaste on his features.

He had been hoping that he could change his mind, end this whole thing here and now and just toss Bela off at the next planet, but with both Anna and Sam digging at him to take on a job, well, he had had an opportunity here to show his crew that he could still take care of them. Damned be the risks. He wouldn't be caught with his pants down this time...

"All right. Tell me more about this job of yours," he said, frustration clear in his voice.

Bela looked up at him, somewhat uncomfortable from being wedged into the crate for the last couple hours, and smiled.

* * *

Oh man! What are Cas and Dean fighting about? What happened on the ride back? All will be revealed...at the end! Mwah ha ha ha!


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: Okay, uber amounts of plot here, as well as some small hints as to where the story is going. I wonder if you can spot them...

ship. me: I just seem to be so horribly mean and rude! Dissin' on claims, making y'all wait for the mystery to be solved, making the boys fight...So terrible XD

leahelisabeth: I know, I'm terrible, but I promise I'll make it all better! Just wait till you figure out what they were fighting about! XD

Disclaimer: Look! Look at all the nothings I have! :D

* * *

CHAPTER 5

After reluctantly helping Bela out from the crate, Dean started to escort her to the dining area, where people were about to start gathering for dinner. He hated to ruin a moderately good meal, but if his crew was going to push and prod him with all of _their_ needs, then he was going to get this done sooner so that they might stop pestering him. He just wanted to get this over with.

But he couldn't help but wish that he had waited a little bit longer so that Bela had more time in her little box. As it was right then, she was practically strutting her way through the ship beside Dean, making him cringe that she was so content to be back on _his_ ship after all the trouble she had caused. He just hoped that his crew didn't shoot first and celebrate later when they saw her.

As it was, they entered the kitchen to Balthazar and Anna who were prepping dinner, and thankfully neither of them carried guns on them, otherwise Bela would for sure be dead.

Without waiting for Dean to say anything, Balthazar leapt from behind the counter and pounced on her with a growl that would have any dog standing proud of. His mind had gone completely blank the moment that he laid eyes on that demon in a woman's skin.

Because of her, he had betrayed his little brother by not listening to him, by ignoring his warnings and in the end, letting his little brother be poisoned into a stupor by this witch. He would never forget those frantic moments that Cassy lay still on the bed, not moving and not responding to anything they tried…not even Gabriel's healing could rouse him. He had truly thought that he had failed his brother and that as a result had doomed him.

Now the little whore was back and all he saw was red, jumping her without even a thought toward his own safety or his lack of weapon. All he could think of was removing the threat from the ship where his family was.

Dean had to admit that he might have paused a few moments purposely so that Balthazar could wail on her for a little bit longer before he finally wrenched the middle Novak off of her, which was a lot harder than he would have thought.

What he didn't consider at all was Anna picking up a knife from the counter and also trying to join the fray. It was only Bela's training and fast reflexes that let her keep her hand as Anna swiped the knife through the air, just missing slicing off the limb.

Now he had to hold back two snarling crew members as Bela scrambled to the other side of the room, clearly choosing the intelligent strategy of stepping out of the fire.

"Chill the fuck out, you two! She's with me!" Dean yelled at them, and they both stilled in his hands, but the anger didn't dissipate in the least.

"What do you mean, 'she's with you?' Are you out of your bloody mind?!" Balthazar shouted, his voice carrying far and Dean knew that soon the rest of his crew would be storming through the doors. He had to get this situation under control before his kitchen became a freaking brawl zone.

"Bela, stay the fuck over there. You two, just listen for a sec. She had a job for us—"

"I don't care if she has a bloody written apology and five hundred year old scotch! She tried to kill us!"

Even Anna was looking pissed off, her normally passive and calm features scrunched up in wrinkled distaste and anger, "Dean how could you let her back on the ship! She almost killed all of us, and poisoned you and Castiel!"

"I know that! I was there! Just…just hear her out. She might be able to help us…and help Cas," the Captain snarled.

And like that the spit and fire in Balthazar lessened and Dean had control, however temporary.

* * *

Like he had predicted, his crew had all dashed into the dining area, guns drawn not even a minute later, and it took another mad scramble to pull Gabriel off of Bela, his fists taking decent chunks of her hair along the way, but Dean really couldn't bring himself to care about that. She deserved far more than some misplaced strands of hair.

Since Anna was too busy glaring daggers at the visitor, it was Dean's responsibility to somehow get his crew settled and the execution postponed. He wasn't sure how he did it, just that it might have involved his face turning red from yelling, and a few shoves of his crew into chairs, and now each of his crew were settled…all on one side of the room, while Dean stood with Bela on the other side.

They were calm for the moment, but he knew he had to start talking soon or risk the momentary calm breaking, but Sam was the first one who spoke up, blatant anger in his voice, "So…I'm guessing that _this_ is what you and Cas were fighting about? Cause if it is, I'm thinking I'm going to take his side in this," he said crossly.

"You do that and keep acting like a scorned prom date while I'm the responsible Captain who needs to keep his crew fed and afloat And whatever Cas and I are...discussing is none of your business," Dean snapped back. Sam wasn't satisfied though, if this wasn't what they were fighting about...

Even Bobby, who usually backed Dean up in all his choices was looking a little on the skeptical side, "I know we're a bit on the desperate side of the spectrum, but ain't the reason we been turning down so many jobs is cause their too risky? Seems to me that this isn't just risky, it's basically sticking your head in the mouth of a lion."

"I hate to say it, but I'm thinking along the same lines as the preacher man. This screams stupid, Cap," Meg added.

At this point Dean was rubbing the bridge of his nose. He hadn't expected his crew to react any way different from this, but it didn't mean he was any less annoyed at them, "Would all of you just…hold your bladders for a moment?! Just listen to the job, and then tell me what you think," he said quietly, with a fierceness behind it that finally got the others to calm down for the moment.

They all turned their attention to Bela, who up until this point had been keeping quiet as to not poke the beast before Dean had tamed it. Now she cleared her throat and started, "The mark's name is Durran Haymer. Maybe one of the biggest collectors of Earth-That-Was artifacts in the 'verse. Guy's got a warehouse full of stuff, but his prize is sitting in his parlor—and antiquity of unspeakable value; The Mexican."

She paused for dramatic effect, but the crew didn't even bat an eye,

She sighed and continued, "The original hand-held laser pistol. One of only two known to still exist. The forerunner of all modern laser technology. Haymer got lucky, picked it up during the war for nothing."

"But it wasn't just luck, tell them," Dean demanded from behind.

She sighed again, this was the part that she had used to lure Dean even further in to the plan, "Haymer's Garrison. He was a bio-weapons expert during the war. He'd target neighborhoods with valuables, wipe out every living soul without ever damaging the good. He'd go in, take whatever he wanted."

During her little background, Dean kept his eyes trained on Sam, waiting for the realization to hit him. He saw the second that it hit Sam and the memories flooded his eyes. The tragic realization that men, just like Haymer, maybe even Haymer himself, were responsible for their mother's death. The raids that caused the fire that stole their mother from them were lit by them. Dean also saw the moment when Sam was on board, because his eyes lit up with a fire that matched his own. That was one crew member.

"He's living fat on a private estate on Bellerophon," Bela tossed some computer disks across the table where the crew was still keeping an almost comical distance from her, "I managed to get a hold of his schedule for the next 18 months, the layout of the estate grounds…as well as every security code for the place."

Sam and Bobby were the only ones who reached forward for the disks, so Dean jumped in to try and make the job more sweet to the other's ears, "Bela's got a notion that we can just walk in and take The Mexican right off the shelf."

Now, Gabriel had been sitting quietly for the last ten minutes, ever since Dean had hauled him off of Bela, and he was being patient even though he was fuming so hot inside that if someone put an egg on his arm, it would be over-hard in a matter of seconds.

But he couldn't sit back any longer, not with Cas hiding in the doorway, his eyes glaring through Bela's skull. He raised his hand in a sarcastic manner, waiting until Dean nodded at him to speak.

"I'm confused…." He started, but Bela cut him off.

"If you're asking yourself if I've got the security codes, why don't I just go in and grab it for myself…why do I even bother cutting you guys in?" she filled in, but Gabriel shook his head with a hysterical giggle.

"Ah, no! Actually…what was really confusing me was…what the hell you are doing on the ship!? Dean, what the hell are you thinking!?" he finished with a furious shout and his fist punching the table. The rest of the crew turned to both her and Dean, eyes demanding more of an answer than, she might provide them money.

Bela rolled her eyes at the attention, "Oh, please. Nobody died last time."

Gabriel ignored her and fixed his blazing golden eyes on Dean, "We're in space, how the fuck did she even get here?"

"She hitched," Dean responded sourly.

"I don't recall pulling over!" Gabriel hissed back.

"Look, the point is, there's more than one of us here who wouldn't mind sticking it to a chiang-bao hoe-tze duh, Garrison bastard. (monkey raping) Besides that, this isn't a wobbly headed doll caper. This could pull us out of our rut and get us what we so desperately need. Or did you forget that Cas needs some more medicine?" Dean reminded him with a snarl, and finally Gabriel's ire dimmed a bit, Balthazar's right along with it. They were indeed still concerned about that, and supposedly if this job went well and it helped….

The two older Novaks picked up two more of the computer disks and started looking them over, glowers still on their faces. That made three.

Chuck, who up to this point had been quiet, slowly raised his hand, following Gabriel's example of questions in this odd plotting session, "Okay, um, I have a question…If she's got the security codes, why doesn't she just go in and grab it for herself-why cut us in?" he asked obligningly.

For a moment, everyone one in the room sends him an 'are you kidding me' look before turning to Bela to answer the mechanic.

"Good point!" she said sarcastically, "Getting through the door and putting our hands on The Mexican is easy. Getting out with it…that's the tricky part. And if what I've been hearing about you guys in the criminal gossip, you have a spectacular talent for getting out of rough places."

"I'm guessing this piece is tagged and coded. The second that it passes through the door…alarms, security…feds…," Bobby mused out loud, making sure that Dean had considered that this could be damned risky.

But Dean knew this well enough, and if it weren't for both Sam and Anna accusing him of being too soft, he probably would have let Bela keep on walking, but now it kinda felt like he had something to prove.

"It is risky. It isn't a one-woman operation. To do this right I'm going to need—"

"Reckless morons…"

Everyone turned to Cas who was still standing in the doorway where he had just cut off Bela mid sentence. He may have been half cast in shadow, but they could all see his eyes that seemed to glow with some untold power. They only half noticed the lights flicker in the background.

"I prefer to call them partners," Bela called to him deadpan.

"Dupes then. You will all be partnered dupes if you trust her. And if you don't like 'reckless', I could use 'insouciant', maybe," Cas muttered darkly. All of the crew could almost feel the hair stand on end as the room seemed to fill with static. Dean felt it to and jumped in, his own voice holding no softness or give when he spoke to Cas.

"That may be so. It's not like we're criminal masterminds who were able to get you in and out of a core hospital, or pulled off a good many heists before you even got here. Lord knows that I wasn't able to keep a healthy and happy crew before the rest of you got here. So, unless you and your brothers have got another magnificent heist plan stuffed under your pillow scribbled in crayon, I suggest we hear this out," Dean said sternly.

Around the room jaws hung open as they listened to the Captain speak so harshly to the other man. Never had they heard him be so cross and maybe even a little mean to the troubled young man, but to his own credit, Cas didn't even flinch. And Bela…well she actually looked like she was enjoying the spectacle.

She smirked at the young man and sauntered closer, hooking her fingers into the collar of his coat and fixing the rumples there, "See there, hon? Only thing you gotta do if you want be rich and pay for your little happy pills…is get over it. Now why don't you go made some pasta art like a good little crazy man," she finished with a pat to his head.

Tilting his head slowly to the side, Cas roamed his eyes over her searchingly before he looked up and met her eyes, "Hmm, okay," he said quietly, but then like a lightning strike, Cas hauls off and slugs Bela in the mouth, making the criminal fall down hard on her ass, a small trickled of blood coming down from her lips.

Nobody offers to help her up.

But Cas didn't smile in satisfaction, or even quirk a grin. Instead he looked to Dean with some odd twinkle in his gaze before dropping his eyes.

"Nee mun doh shr sagwa," Cas hissed as he turned to leave the room very quickly, almost tripping over his own feet in retreat. (Idiots, all of you)

Dean's eyes followed him out of the room, and Sam could have sworn that Dean's lips quirked up into a half smile, but it might have just been the flickering lights playing tricks on his eyes.

* * *

Hmmmmm, and the lovebirds continue to fight! Hang in there babies!


	6. Chapter 6

Notes:** AND WE HAVE REACHED 300,000 WORDS!** HOW SHOULD I CELEBRATE?!

leahelisabeth: You and me both ;)

ship. me: ooo! And you're so good at this guessing thing! You've got me all figured out XD *hearts and huggles*

Disclaimer: hmmm, nope, no. I'm awesome, but not that awesome.

* * *

CHAPTER 6

Dean looked over his crew once Cas had left, trying to gauge how far he could take this before the next outburst, or if he could even prevent another one all together. It was a nice thought to think that maybe his crew would calm down and trust him to guide them in this. He would never put them in a dangerous situation unless he thought that he could pull them out of it. Hell, his little brother was among the crew. Didn't that count for anything?

It was starting to feel like the last time that Bela was on the ship, with so many turning on him. At least he had Sam and two of the Novaks on his side, maybe even Bobby. Oh, how that preacher man loved a challenge.

Dean leaned down on the chair's backrest and met the eyes of each of his people, "Okay, so the question remains, how do we get the artifact out without setting off the alarms?"

He waited for his crew to work their magic. None of them could resist sharing their insight for such a job. He lit the flame, and the moths would fly right for it.

Chuck was the first ensnared by the fire, "Well, you don't. Not through the door, anyway," he hesitantly leaned over the table and picked up one of the disks laying there, "Uh, is this the layout?" he asked Bela. She nodded and smirked, winking at Dean.

"Full blueprints of the entire grounds," Bela said smugly, even with the bruise from Cas' punch spreading slowly over his face.

"Well….c-could be we look hard enough…we, we could find a way in then," Chuck finished and Dean almost punched the air in joy, that's what he likes to hear. That made four.

With a warm smile he looked at his mechanic, "You dig into that, my man," then he turned to Bobby, "Sheppard, you haven't said a word. Time to weigh in. What's your take on all this?"

It was a bit risky on Dean's part to be asking for the preacher's opinion so early on, but he needed Bobby to back him up in this if he was going get the rest of his crew. Whether they knew it or not, they _all_ relied on the old man's wisdom and knowledge to govern some of their choices. Even Cas, in all of his freaky awareness, listened with rapt attention to any advice that came from the preacher.

Dean crossed his fingers as Bobby paused before he replied, "The take sounds ripe enough. That's assuming we can fence it…" he glanced at Bela with the unspoken question in his eyes.

Thankfully Bela really was on top of all this stuff, "No worried about that. I know a guy on Persephone. He's already got half a dozen buyers on the big. The split is going to be sweet, I can tell you."

At the preacher's nod, Dean was about to count the preacher in, but then the gruff man spoke again, making Dean half panic, "But Cas is not wrong. She can't be trusted," he finished with a glare Bela's way.

"I'm not asking you to trust her. I'll be with her on the inside the whole time," the Captain tried to sooth.

"You're going to hold her hand or something?" Anna almost snapped, making Meg next to her smile in appreciation of the Companion's spit and fire.

"If that's what it takes. Or do you all still think I'm going to take advantage of her?" Dean spat right back.

Unexpectedly, Meg shrugged and slapped her hand lazily down on the table, "You know what? I hate this bitch as much as Funny Farm, but I'm never one to toss away a job involving weapons. So, as long as you can keep it in your pants, Cap, and as long as she doesn't fuck us again, then I'm in. Plus, I really am sick a tired of being broke."

Dean paused, not really expecting that, but happy nonetheless. That's five, he guessed and he watched as Anna's shoulders let go some of the tension.

"Fine, but you better not end up in a prison that I'll have to bail you out of again. Not sure I have enough left in the reserves to get you all out," she sighed and got up from the table. If they were going to be docked near this rich man's resort, she may as well grab a couple jobs and earn some money herself before this was all said and done. She had asked for this after all.

Six….

Dean looked over to Bobby once more, not having gotten a real answer from him.

The preacher let out a magnificent and weary sigh that could be heard through the entire room, "Oh, balls. Guess we're doing this then."

Seven. That was the magic number.

* * *

It was Meg's job to help move Castiel and Balthazar into their temporary home for the duration of Bela's stay. For whatever reason, the job of "tucking them in" fell to her and there were a few unhappy people with this idea to send them away, Meg included as she would have much preferred to have their riddling clairvoyant around to give 'em some sort of warning before everything went to shit…if it went to shit.

She would have thought that Dean would be upset about it too, sending off his bed warmer, but the Captain was the one who ordered this in the first place, much to the surprise of everyone else.

With a huff, she dumped a bunch of food and water packets onto the floor of the second shuttle while the two younger Novaks stood and watched, "Captain says you're supposed to stay put in here, fly it out a good distance from the rich and to-do planet and stay there until we call. He doesn't want Freakazoid running afoul of his blushin' psychotic bride."

"Is that because he's worried that she knows who we are? Or because he doesn't want an "incident" with Cassy again?" Balthazar asked, cautiously glancing at his little brother who was sitting calmly in one of the chairs. It seemed like the youngest brother was having peculiar mood swings, furiously angry at some moments and then completely calm in others. It worried him, but for whatever reason, Dean didn't seem all too concerned.

"It's because if she _does_ figure out who you guys are, she'll turn you in before you can say….'don't turn me in lady," Dean finished lamely as he walked into the shuttle.

Balthazar snorted at the comment, "Well, this bloody bounty on us just keeps getting more and more exciting. Aren't you worried about Gabriel?"

"She hasn't paid much attention to him at all, just Cas so far. I'd let you stay too, but I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on him," Dean glanced over at Cas to see how he felt about all this, but the other man had turned his chair around so that it was facing the other way, blocking his face from view of the others, "Don't want to dangle the goods in front of her face and have her calling the feds or anything. Am I right, Cas?"

Like one of the movies that he and Cas watched with the bad guy swiveling around in his chair, he turned to face them, his face contorted in an awkward looking mask of anger.

"She's a liar," he spat out, very loudly. Loudly enough that just outside the shuttle, Bela could easily hear it all.

"That doesn't exactly set her apart from the rest of us, Cas. And the money we can get sounds fair enough. So cowboy up and stop it with the hissy fit," Dean retorted, his voice making it sound like he also stuck his tongue out.

"She's a liar and the bite will sting when it comes back!" Now Cas' face was becoming an alarming shade of red, enough that Balthazar was becoming quickly concerned. This amount of anger was rare for his little brother, in fact, he wasn't sure if he had ever seen Cassy so furious before.

Meg ducked out of the room, hoping to escape before the lights started to burst and flicker.

"This is for you and the crew! Do you really think that I'm stupid enough to let her get the best of me again?! Fuck, man, I thought you trusted me!"

"Never trust sheep where a wolf has been known to lurk!"

Dean growled in frustration and Balthazar flinched into the corner of the shuttle, away from all of the loud yelling. It was all a bit ridiculous to see, both his baby brother and the Captain turning purple in the face as they screamed back and forth. He had seen many a domestic disputes in his time, but this one just seemed plain…odd. It would be funny if the situation wasn't so dire…and for the fact that if Cas got any louder he stood a good chance of letting out that ear puncturing screech.

Dean moved right up into Cas' space and wagged a finger in front of his face, not lowering his voice at all even in the close proximity "Trust is a two way street, buddy. You don't trust me to take care of you and the crew then I'm not sure that I can trust you to muck up this job. _That's_ why I'm sending you off. When you get back, and we're all not one step away from becoming homeless, then we can talk again about you not believing that I can do this."

"You started it!"

"How the hell did_ I_ start this?!"

"By not believing that I could handle sex!"

Now Balthazar's ears were starting to burn along with his face and he too dashed from the room, not about to get in between quarreling lovers who were arguing over what happened in their bed. Those were some of the more scarring arguments that could grace anyone's ears, especially when it involved siblings.

Dean sputtered for a moment, completely thrown off, "What?! I'm just trying to look out for you! Just like I'm doing now, actually, you ungrateful little…"

"I can look out for myself! I am not some helpless victim that you can lord over with promise of protection! I'm a very dangerous victim that has protected you on many occasions! You're nothing more than a clown fish hiding out in my sea anemone."

"I have never been in your anen…anemone!" Dean screamed back.

"I'm well aware of that because we haven't had sex yet!"

Outside the shuttle, Bela snorted as the voiced drifted far enough into the ship that they could be heard in the kitchen…much to Gabriel's and Sam's horrifying realization as they went over the disks at the table.

"You know what, Cas? I'm done arguing with you here. If you're going to be all pissy cause I'm trying to look out for you, then that's your problem. I've got a job to do, I've got to put food on the table, and I have to buy you more stinking drugs. So just sit tight with Balthazar and I'll see you in two days….And to think I came here to leave you a deck of cards…" Dean muttered as the stormed out of the shuttle, shutting the hatch behind him.

As soon as the door shut, Cas' whole body seemed to sag and he draped himself in one of the chair, his face completely blank as Balthazar stumbled in a few minutes later when the screaming match had ended.

Awkwardly Balthazar took note of Cas' still form and lack of expression before slowly walking over to the chair next to his brother.

"Ah, so….Another exciting adventure in sitting, I suppose. You want to play a game, Cassy?

His brother barely looked up, instead he looked sadly out of the window.

"…Cassy?"

"Afraid…" he whispered.

Balthazar sighed, "Oh, Cassy. We'll be okay. You don't have to be afraid. I know that you're worried that Dean is working with that boo hway-hun duh puo-foo…"(remorseless harridan)

"No, not me. Dean. I think I might have gone too far. This was a bad idea from the start."

Balthazar snorted, "Well, you've made that opinion very clear."

Sadly Cas turned to gaze at his brother's face, reaching out for his blazer to grab in his fingers for comfort, a thing he had done ever since he was a baby, "You have no idea…"

* * *

Wow...still can't believe I wrote that...LOL!


	7. Chapter 7

Notes: Okay, so again in this chapter I have a few hinty hints as to what the hell is going on with our boys. There is more than meets the eye!

leahelisabeth: I know, the poor babies D'X But don't assume too much!

ship. me: Hang in there babies! All will be revealed soon!

merlincrazy: So glad that you're liking it! Always happy to be of service :D (btw, my heart is still in recovery over Merlin *gross sobbing*)

Disclaimer: I have a pack of gum...it is my most treasured thing I own at the moment besides my laptop. I own nothing else here nor there.

* * *

CHAPTER 7

Sam and Gabriel cautiously made their way up the stairs to the catwalk after hearing the end of the fight. Neither of them really wanted to ask about this, but there was that obnoxious little voice in the backs of their heads that urged them to at least inquire if their brother's were all right. So they left the relative safe haven of the dining area, leaving behind the diagrams with Bobby and Chuck and slowly made their way over to where the yelling had finally stopped.

They reached the top of the stairs, they bumped into Anna who was on her own way to her shuttle. Grateful for any delay in finding their brothers after that blow out, they swarmed in on her.

"Hello Anna! We should be on Bellerophon by 14 hundred hours, I figure the job should be done by 10 hundred or so tomorrow," Gabriel informed her merrily.

Obligingly she nodded over at the pilot, "Yes, I'm aware. I made a few appointments and should be done around then so that we can hurry on our way. And the minute we hit atmo, I'll be on _my_ way. It'll be nice to get away for a bit, get my mind off of Dean's lunacy. I just wish that it'll do the same for Castiel," she smirked.

She looked like she was about to walk off, but Sam and Gabriel, like a single unit positioned themselves to casually block her way by leaning on the sides of the rails and giving the Companion their full attention, "What happens if you have an appointment coming and you aren't finished at the one you're at," Sam asked curiously, still trying to stall for time.

Slyly Anna glanced at them from under lush eyelashes, "Overbooking is a cardinal sin. Clients must feel the experience is timeless. Only thing worse that I could possibly do is a badly faked orgasm."

Gabriel let out a loud guffaw at this and slapped a hand to his chest in mock pain.

"Yes, the worst cardinal sin of all," Gabriel intoned solemnly, "See that's where me and Companionship part ways. I never could work the notion of pretending a man's getting it done when he wasn't…," he noticed Sam's offended look, "Oh, you know I'm not talking about you. You're a very generous lover, Sammy," the pilot soothed the other man's ego, but Sam still gave the pilot the stink eye.

"So you've never pretended to fall?" Anna asked Sam coyly.

The younger Winchester winced, the conversation finally becoming a bit more of Dean's tastes than his, "Not really, uh... it's kinda hard to fake when you're a guy…" his face lit up red, making both Gabriel and Anna smirk behind their hands. "subtly" Gabriel reached behind his partner and gave his ass a full and very affectionate squeeze, making the younger Winchester squeak and jump a bit.

Anna laughed sweetly at their antics and patted them both on the arm, "Well, hats off to both of you then. I'll see you in a few days and…make sure Dean stays safe. I feel partly responsible for him taking this on. I…pressured him to take more risks, and now this."

All the joking and fondling aside, Sam guiltily glanced at her, "You're not the only one who is responsible. I bugged him about the doll caper earlier," Sam confessed and the other two winced. They knew that would be a sore spot for the Captain.

"Just the same, look out for each other. I'd like there to be someone around to pick me up when I'm all done," she smiled and waved her parting before stepping into her shuttle.

* * *

They split ways after that, Sam heading after Dean, and Gabriel heading into the other shuttle to try and do some damage control. They would have charge money for their services if only their clients weren't flat out broke.

Somewhat cautiously, Gabriel slinked into the shuttle, spotting Balthazar who was too busy fussing of Cassy to look up as his elder brother came in the room. He was sure that Castiel knew that the pilot had entered, but his little brother was refusing to look at either brother, instead turning his face to the window to where they couldn't get a read on his face.

Now about everyone on the boat had heard Castiel's shout about uh, his and Dean's more intimate matters, and of course Gabriel could understand his baby brother's frustration. It wasn't easy to get Winchester to drop an idea once it's in their head. And if Dean was so dead set on upholding his chivalry towards Cassy, well, it would take a freaking miracle to get his little brother laid.

He just prayed that Cas wasn't thinking about how Dean kissed Bela and almost slept with her, and now he was refusing to do the same with him. It would be killer on the poor kids newly blossomed sex drive. Also it would be pretty sucky if he lost the most recent bet on the relationship pool. He only had two weeks left before his estimate was passed.

At least Chuck was gonna lose this one. He bet _way_ too early this time around.

But this whole 27 year long dry spell for Castiel was only half the reason that Gabriel suspected that his little brother was moping around and maybe roughing up the Captain a bit. Truthfully the pilot was glad that it looked like Castiel had taken a swing at the Captain. This whole situation, even if it could get them out of this rut, reeked of stupid and at least someone tried to knock some sense into Dean.

It was one of those kinds of scenarios where there was no win, both choices of tossing Bela out the airlock, or trusting her with the job were gonna hurt the crew in some way. They all had to face it, they were desperate. And desperate times called for dumb, idiotic, risky, and cock-blocking measures.

They all just hoped, especially Cas, that Dean wouldn't regret this.

He came up behind the chair that Cas had draped himself in and started rubbing at his shoulders, "Fahng-sheen, champ. I've got his back. If Dean starts thinking with his jan-doh duh ee-kwai-ro, I'll step in and cut off his balls," he soothed. (Don't Worry)(Dangly Piece of Flesh)

Balthazar smirked, "That's right, Cassy. If Dean does anything to hurt you then we can do many terrible and sneaky things to him for you!"

He didn't turn around to reply, "Thank you for your support, but I don't think castration will solve anything. I'll just sit here quietly for now. Just…watch his back for him since I can't be there."

And he shrugged off Gabriel's hand. The two older Novak's exchanged worried glances, but Gabriel couldn't stay any longer. It was almost time to get things started and Balthazar had to fly this thing out of here. So the pilot switched on the auto pilot to the coordinates that Dean had given him earlier and bid his goodbye's to both of his brothers before stepping out of the shuttle.

As the hatch shut behind him, he hoped that Sam had some better luck with Dean.

"See you when we're wealthy, you two," he whispered through the door, and then he started back to the dining room. They had capers to plan, things to steal, and money to earn so that they could buy some more meds for Cas. Maybe while they were picking up those blue pills Gabriel could snag some viagra or something to slip into Dean's coffee. He mused over this side plan on his walk back.

* * *

With perhaps a bit more force than necessary, Dean started tapping on the screen of the computer, flipping through each of the diagrams and maps, looking for any discrepancy, and hot zones, anything to reveal some less than honest intentions…He had left the kitchen for a bit to 'get some air' and was pacing the hallways with his tablet instead of sitting around the table watching his crew give him weird looks. He knew how loud he and Cas had gotten, and he was sure that more than a few people had overheard him. He just hoped to put off the marriage counseling until later...like never later. Not for the first time that night he really hated what they were doing.

He turned his attention back to the tablet with a sigh. So far nothing had shown up, and for that he was both grateful and worried. There had to be something here.

"Starting to get second thoughts?"

Sam's voice normally would have soothed him, but instead Dean tensed up waiting for the next person to start in on him.

"Just being cautious. Can't have you guys accusing me of being an irresponsible parent, now can i?" Dean shot back with venom.

Sam sighed and moved next to Dean. Guiltily he knew that this was a good deal his fault that Dean was suffering so badly right now. Just earlier he had accused Dean of being too cautious and avoiding jobs, and now, even with his crew on board for the job, they were all thinking that the Captain might have lost his mind.

But for whatever reason, Sam wasn't entirely sure that this was all that was bugging his brother. It was just this odd feeling that he was missing something.

"I'm not doubting you, Dean. I'm just worried about, that's all. I heard you and Cas fighting and…"

"And what? You want to drop in your two cents?"

"No, I just want you to know that I've still got your back in this. We all do."

And Dean's eyes softened as his little brother finally coaxed a grateful half-smile out of him.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," and he was about to say more, but he caught sight of Bela stepping into sight down the hallway, "Hey! Get your flat ass over here and give me a and with these charts. No wandering about, remember? Or I'll throw you back in your crate."

Bela had been startled by Dean calling to her, and she immediately thought that maybe he had caught her eavesdropping on the crew, but he didn't look like he was about to tear her heart out through her throat, so she assumed that he didn't suspect a thing. Throwing on a sultry expression, she sauntered her way over the where the brothers were, making sure to brush against Sam's chest as she walked by.

She could feel both of their eyes follow her every move and was about to say something, but at that exact moment the preacher's voice came over the comm. box.

"_Cap'n?"_

Dean kept his eye on Bela as he hit the nearby button, "What is it, Bobby?"

"_Think we got something. Chuck here seems to think he has a plan that will work."_

* * *

Okay, we start in on some real plot next chapter I believe. Woohoo!


	8. Chapter 8

Notes: More plot and heist shenanigans!

leahelisabeth: I know! I want to add in more hurt/comfort stuff, but the story lines don't allow it at this point. So I'm planning to make up for it all once I start my "season 2" stories . Can't wait!

Disclaimer: If I claim this, I'm pretty sure that the real owners will nuke my imagination and mind palace, and that would be sad because it would kill half of my best friends. So I won't claim it.

* * *

CHAPTER 8

Dean, Sam, Meg, Gabriel, Chuck, Bobby and Bela gathered around the table in the dining area again. All eyes were on the mechanic who held one of the tablets in his hands, showing all those who had gathered the display screen as the specific estate schematics that had caught his interest.

"All right, what am I looking at here, Chucky?" Dean demanded, hoping to move things along quicker.

Of course that just made the mechanic stutter even more, "Uh, well, Bobby and I were, uh, going over some of the vents and, uh, saw something that might work…"

"…And?" Dean pressed, making the mechanic flinch. The poor squirrely fellow was having a hard time with all of the chaos going on in their little family and with Dean having next to no patience, and Castiel not around to sooth him, and a scary lady that tried to kill them all, well, it just sucked.

Chuck 'meeped' and Bobby stepped in, taking the display out of shaking hands and clicking through, "Bellerophon estates…home to the rich and paranoid. Gracious living…ocean views…and state of the art security, including local patrols, and multi-code-keys needed at all entrances and exits, hell, I'd wager there are some on the fancier bathrooms around that place," he older man mused.

Off to the left of Dean, Bela huffed at the dramatics, "We've gone over this. We have the codes…"

But Bobby's glare cut her off, "I get that. So Chuck and I have come up with this plan, so shut your yap, missy, and listen to your elders," the preacher looked around the room, as if asking if anyone else was brave enough to interrupt him again. Not getting anymore takers, he started to reveal the plan.

"So, the whore and Dean will split off in Anna's shuttle as we make our approach. She is, uh, letting us borrow it while she entertains. She says she won't be needin' it since the houses around here are fancy enough…"

* * *

_**Day of Heist**_

Like an unseen insect, the shuttle buzzed it's way through the obnoxiously perfect blue sky as it approached the estates. Now, Dean had grown up thinking that a fancy house would be big, have a nice paint job, maybe have those super nice windows that made it look like someone cleaned them each morning and were basically bird killers, and probably have a real nice garden out front…but these 'houses' made his picturesque house look like the projects in comparison.

This place was like something out of a child's dream. The planet was not like the normal terraformed moons, it actually was a planet almost entirely covered by oceans. There was but one small speck of dirt, no bigger than about 100,000 square feet. Thing was, it was a tiny but incredibly barren desert, no animals in sight, no plants, only a few sharp rocks and whatever washed up from the oceans. The oddest thing was that even though the very air around the little island was as crisp and as fresh as it came, the desert remained as hot and heated as it came all due to the volcano hot spot that it sat upon. There were no houses on this small patch of land. As if these rich snobs would claim paradise on the volcanic desert of doom.

So of course, houses here were not just simple houses on a street, and neighbors were not the house next door. Each estate was its own little island, but these islands never touched the water. Instead they were all floating in the air, each estate established on a disk, and each disk held its own home, its own trees and gardens, its own little paradise all wrapped up in some bubble force field that protected it from the high winds of the ocean world. The houses themselves were big enough to be a small town, and Dean snorted at the sickening display of how people could get rich off of the blood and sweat and death of others.

"I hope that in their next life, these people come back as toilet brushes…" he muttered under his breath.

"The landing port that your mechanic found is just south of the main house," Bela reminded Dean as he steered them to the correct island. He could see from his seat that it was quite the place. It held multiple houses on it. What the hell could someone who lived alone do with _multiple_ houses? Dean found it hard enough to be alone on his own ship and it was miniscule compared to this.

Quickly Dean caught sight of the port she spoke of and veered in, "Okay, prepping for landing. You ready?" he tossed over his shoulder as Bela stepped up next to him. He glanced at her and noticed that she held two very large flower arrangements in her arms that she had obviously taken from the back of the shuttle. Hopefully Anna would forgive them for 'borrowing' them.

A thin smile crept over Bela's pretty features, "Oh, I'm ready."

* * *

_**Impala: Planning Session**_

"So, our informant here tells us that Haymer's throwing a big party this weekend, so you two should have no trouble blending in with the hired help who'll be there setting up," Bobby told them.

Dean winced, "Aw, just tell me that I don't have to wear some dorky uniform."

Bobby glared at him over the screen, "You can wear a lime green thong and pretend you're the hired exotic dancer for all I care! All _you_ have to do is fit in, and get through the back door…at this spot."

"You know Dean…I think that I might just have a thong somewhere, that you can borrow…Don't think it's lime green though."

"Shut up, Gabriel…and stop smirking Sam!"

* * *

_**Day of the Heist**_

Dean almost felt bad as he trudged through the stunningly manicured grounds, leaving footprints in the shockingly green grass…well, almost. He had to remember who they were stealing from here.

It was achingly painful to think that the people who were responsible for his mother's death might be living high like this guy, blissful in their little piece of paradise and not giving a damn to who's blood was poured into the foundation. The thought put a snarl on his face as they walked by the various domestics bustling about, carrying trays, pushing carts loaded with fine china, bartenders unpacking tumblers and booze. It was all so disgustingly fancy that it made him sick.

"Jeez, this place is so classy I'm not sure I'll know which fork to kill myself with," he muttered under his breath.

Bela noticed the scowl and elbowed him roughly, "Will you lighten up? Someone is bound to notice your pissy face and get suspicious," she hissed lowly as they passed a group of landscapers rush by to put away their tools.

"If they ask then I'll just tell them that I wasn't invited and I feel left out," Dean retorted.

"Well take your mind off of missing your little bed warmer and get focused on where we are now before you blow it, like you apparently haven't been doing with your love bug."

Oh, that dig of hers actually hurt a bit and Dean made sure that his scowl became deeper.

They carried their flower arrangements through the grounds, eventually coming up to one of the many houses and finding a partially hidden doorway in the shadows. Quickly Bela pulled out a punch-pad and a small device that Dean recognized as a code enabler. She attached the small cylinder to the door, tapped in one of her codes, and the cylinder blinks red for a few gut wrenching moments…

* * *

_**Impala: Planning Session**_

"The code part shouldn't be a problem, unless someone's been less than truthful…" Sam glanced over at Bela as he commented on this, as if daring her to try and sneak by them with some stupid error like that. He'd be damned if he let his brother go with the witch only to have them caught because of her codes being a bunch of crock.

But she held her ground and didn't flinch.

* * *

_**Day of the Heist**_

The light turned green and Bela looked to Dean with a wide and smug, 'I told you so' grin on her face that made Dean's frown grow even deeper which he didn't consider possible.

Together they started through the hallways, still holding the bulky flowers in their hands. As thy walked along, a daisy came loose and hit Dean in the face, bursting in his face a familiar scent and his thoughts went to Cas, wherever he was.

Dean hated what he and Cas were doing right now, and could hardly wait to set it all right again, but he had to do this first, he had to finish what he had started.

Bela glanced over at Dean who had slowed their pace and rolled her eyes at the distant look in his face.

"Oh, please! Are you really daydreaming over this guy right here? Right now?" she asked, truly confused and a little annoyed that the usually professional captain was off in la la land with his beloved.

Dean shook his head free of depressing thoughts and glared at her, "Don't worry about me. Let's just get this over with."

She turned to continue walking, glancing back at the Captain every few steps and gauging his expression, seeing how it softened as he looked at the flowers in his hands. She sighed and turned her head to him as they continued to move down the hallway, "This guy seems to cause you a lot of problems. It just seems like so much effort for someone you haven't even slept with…" she teased.

"Hence the effort," Dean hissed back at her and pushed by Bela roughly, bringing their pace up again as they neared their goal.

* * *

_**Impala: Planning Session**_

Chuck brought up the next diagram. It showed a large room in the center of one of the estates houses. He zoomed in on one of the floors as the other's looked over his shoulder, "So, according to Bela, the parlor with The Mexican is on the ninth floor."

"You'll have to disable the display before you touch anything," Sam reminded them, and both Dean and Bela nodded.

Chuck continued, "The disabling part shouldn't be a problem since you've got the codes and such…it's just that once you've got your hands on the goods, you can't take it out the front door, or the back door, or any door, really," he finished lamely.

"Every piece of pretty in that room is tagged for the scanners, and we ain't got codes for that," Bobby reported.

This was where Bela needed a crew to help her out. She had pondered many a night of how to get around the damned tags, but she never could figure it out. She had hoped that Monty's crew could come up with something, and now she was praying that the crew that robbed a core hospital could come up with a miracle to get this prize.

"Okay, so…what do we do?" she asked impatiently.

"You want to tell them?" Bobby asked Chuck who shook his head sadly.

"Nah, you should. It was your genius idea," the mechanic offered truthfully, letting the preacher step up and claim the glory.

Somewhat bashfully, the preacher addressed the crew, "Well, I was thinking we just chuck it in the garbage," he said sheepishly.

Everyone stared at him and Bela's mouth hung open.

* * *

Oh, Bobby...I love you so much...


	9. Chapter 9

Notes: Another chapter of action and plot! Woot woot!

leahelisabeth: I shall take care of Bela, sweetheart! Don't you worry... *evil laughter* Huggles and hearts! Good luck with tonight's episode!

otex: Ah! Your review had me made my face hurt from smiling too much! I was seriously giggling in the middle of class and my face turned beet red! XD You are way too cute and awesome! And you have picked out one of my proudest original scenes from the series. That massage scene was so hard to write, but only because I was laughing so hard that my fingers kept slipping over the keyboard! I shall do my best to continue the awesome and to not disappoint! You also picked out each and every one of my goals, making destiel develop, not losing the other characters, and of course...adorable Cas moments of doom. Gah! You made my day! Oh, and good luck with tonight's episode! ;)

Disclaimer: If I had a nickel for every time I had to say I don't own this, I might just be able to but buy it...

* * *

CHAPTER 9

_**Day of the Heist**_

They scurried along the hallway, still keeping an air of 'party is in an hour' rush to their steps so as to not cause any alarm. Dean could feel the flowers dusting him with pollen as they moved along, shaking the plants in the pot. With his luck he'd probably be sneezing for the next week after this to clear out his nostrils.

Cas would probably striking up some philosophical conversation with the mums right now, complimenting them on their petals like a normal person would comment on another's hair.

Suddenly Bela held up her hand for them to stop, and not ten feet in front of them a housekeeper walked into sight from an adjacent hallway pushing along a trash barrel. She didn't seem to notice them and continued to walk in the opposite direction.

The two bandits exchanged glances and turned to follow her keeping a safe distance from her and keeping their footsteps soft. They all moved a bit down the long and decorated hallway, Dean glancing at the paintings and vases that lined them, wondering if he could nab a few more of these on their way out. They had to be worth something. Maybe he could sell one or two to pay for a bunch of damned pollen chucking, obnoxious smelling, blindingly colorful fucking flowers for Cas. That would show him.

The housekeeper paused at a panel at the end of one passageway, and both Bela and Dean threw themselves flat against the wall doing their best to keep hidden. But all it really did was make Dean feel like a complete moron. As if two people standing against a wall would count as hidden. They might as well have put the flower pots on the ground in the center of the hallway and hid behind the bouquets. It probably would have served as a much better disquise.

Embarrassment aside, they watched as the maid pushed a few random buttons that triggered open the panel in the wall, revealing a dark trash shoot that she quickly tossed the trash she was pushing into.

* * *

_**Impala: Planning Session**_

"Did I miss something, or is Dean's blue eyed wonder not the only crazy person on this boat? Why the hell am I stealing a gun to just toss it into the trash?" Bela hissed at Dean, clearly upset that she had invested so much hope in this crew just to have the preacher plan to throw it away like an old banana peel.

Bobby grunted at her and crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive manner, "Lady, you came to us because you had no idea how to do this. And I'm helping your skinny ass by offering a damned good way to get you your goods. Now if you would shut up and let the professionals do their work…" he raised his bushy eyebrows at her and both Sam and Dean had to hide tumbling laughter behind smirks.

Damn, but they had become fond of the old man since they picked up his cranky crusty ass back on Persephone. Neither was willing just yet to admit out loud how having Bobby around was a lot like having the dad they always wanted. His reluctant concern and fondness for them, his ability to slap them upside the head and call them 'idjits' and somehow make it seem like he was giving them a hug and calling them 'darling', and of course, that crotchety attitude that went along with his general personality…but damn, they liked Bobby.

They both got a nice thrill at Bobby basically admitting that he was a part of the criminal group, a master mind in his own right. They knew the preacher had some issues with feeling useless, but right now the Sheppard was in his element...well, sort of. It seemed that he was leaving his 'padre' days behind him for now.

And the old man would be damned before he let the little witch doubt his brilliance.

When Bela finally rolled her eyes and gestured for Bobby to continue, he did so with a snide tone that got Gabriel smirking as well, "All you got to do once you get the damn thing, is toss it down a chute, hit one little button, and it will summon a drone over to that specific trash panel and the gun will be emptied into it. Drone then whooshes off with the trash."

Bela impatiently tapped her fingers on her arm where they were crossed over her chest, "Brilliant," she said, but her voice told them all that she was far from impressed yet.

"Well, gee. Thanks," Bobby grunted back.

"Oh, except it's idiotic! Those drones take the disposal bins straight to reclamation. Thirty seconds after we hit the button, the booty will get incinerated! I hate to tell you this preacher, but my buyers ain't looking for a pile of ash!" Bela snarled. And here she thought this crew was smart…

But Bobby of course snorted and gave her a look that made her feel like the kid in class who just asked if a cantaloupe was a type of animal.

"It ain't gonna be a problem if we reprogram the bin. Give it new coordinates and it delivers it somewhere else instead of getting turned to dust. That work for you, honey?" he asked with dripping sweetness that made the others in the room cringe.

Bela sneered at him, "And where would this 'somewhere else' be?" she asked dryly, her eyes flicking to Dean but Sam was the one to bounce in.

"It'll be the loneliest piece of dirt that Gabe and me could find," he pulled up the schematics of the small and lonely island on the planet, "This here is Isis Island. Not a single person lives there, goes there, or even thinks about going there. It's damned hot and dirty, something rich folk don't take to very well. So we just have the drone dump the bin, we show up later to claim the goods and…" he glances over at Gabriel who gushed loudly and clapped his hands.

"And then we're all back together again on the loneliest place on the planet. How romantic!" the pilot swooned and bumped his head into Sam's shoulder affectionately, of course making everyone else in the room roll their eyes.

Bela seemed to finally start warming up to the idea and nodded along with the train of thought, "Okay, okay. So we do this…how do you plan on getting the bin to reprogram it?" she asked seriously.

Bobby glanced over at their nervous mechanic, "You just get the loot, and we'll get to the bin."

* * *

_**Day of the Heist**_

It was like that damned train heist all over again, only this time Chuck was tethered along with Meg to the outside of the ship getting buffeted and whipped by the strong winds. He would loved to have said that he wasn't paid enough for all of this, but he really wasn't being paid at all right now, so…what the hell was he doing out here dangling off the side of a ship? He swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat and turned his attention to the approaching drone that was heading straight for the agreed upon chute.

He watched as the drone glided under the dumpster and attach it's forklift claws to clamp onto the dumpster with a loud metallic klang that made him flinch. The dumpster shuddered with the impact and then detaches from the structure and the drone whisks it away as another new and empty dumpster drops into place.

That was their baby right there.

Chuck motioned to Meg to make the call, and she right away clicked her radio on and shouted to where Sam and Gabriel were in the control room, "It's here. Move in now!"

Slowly so that they didn't buffet their outdoor passengers, Gabriel and Sam maneuvered the ship up and under the new dumpster. Both of them were immensely grateful that this time around they only had the wind to worry about, not a moving train to factor into the equation. The islands might be floating, but at least they were stationary.

Checking that his and Meg's goggles were on tight, that his hat was tied on under his neck, and of course triple checking that his harness and the cable were properly latched, he carefully crawled up the hull of the Impala and under the dumpster.

Only once he had set eyes upon the settings panel did he remove the gloves that he was wearing, exposing his fingers to the biting wind and cold. He turned to Meg and flexed his fingers to signal that he was ready.

Nodding back, Meg pulled over the tool kit that was tethered next to her and crawled over to him with it. She gave him the tools and then braced her arm over him to keep them both as still as possible while his hands were occupied.

Once again she clicked her radio, "Okay, we're planted. Keep it steady or you'll squash us and I'll have to squash you," she yelled over the wind.

* * *

Back in the control room, Gabriel was white knuckling it as he did his best to keep control of the ship as the wind picked up, Sam keeping an eye on the radar screen updating him on their distance from the dumpster.

"As if you could, honey...as if you could," Gabriel muttered darkly under his breath. Sam didn't hear.

* * *

Chuck popped open the tool kit and pulls out his favorite electric screwdriver and slowly gets to his knees with great care and balance, reaching slowly for the settings panel on the side of the trash bin. The wind was doing its best to make this whole operation incredibly precarious as he started off by removing the face off of the panel.

He knew he didn't have long to work though and hurried to finish up fast.

* * *

She watched as Dean once again took lead down the corridor once they had passed by the maid who so conveniently showed them the trash chute and the codes to operate it. Bela didn't mind letting him take the front in this, after all…she got a wonderful eyeful of his ass as they moved along. Dean wasn't the only one who could day dream while on a heist.

They came up to a four way dissection of hallways that finally made Dean pause and turn back to his companion, "Okay, which way now?" he asked impatiently. This place was so fucking big. Even if you lived here it would need to have something like a mall directory at every cross section. Who the hell wanted to feel lost in their own house?

She trotted down to him and pulled out a palm tablet device that held the house's blueprints, "Looks like we go left," she said, her eyes not really looking at the map in her hands but instead roaming over the walls. It was odd, but Dean didn't take much mind of it at the moment. There were more pressing matters at hand.

* * *

Finally prying free the face of the panel, Chuck set about removing the innards of the small opening, pulling out the motherboard and settling on himself cross legged on the hull of the ship with it in his lap.

Pulling out his welding tools, he started fiddling with the coordinates while Meg watched on.

* * *

They followed the many turns and bends in the corridors until it finally led them to an open door that led into a larger room. It was like some grand parlor or mini museum that was decked out with old looking stuff. Or at least it would just look like a bunch of old stuff to an untrained eye, but to those with a no-how, this room was basically a treasure trove. The room simply defined opulence with its beautiful furnishings, expensive art on the walls, and of course the center pieces that stood on pedestals around the room.

Dean glanced around, noting how each and every item alone could feed his crew for a decade, or a small town for a year, "Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn…" he breathed. (Holy Testicle Tuesday)

The Earth-That-Was memorabilia, and at the very center of it all, stood on an ornate mantel of honor, was their gun. They moved up to it and gave it a quick once over. To Dean it looked like it was the clunky brick cell phones in the ancient museums compared to the more modern laser guns, but it held its own beauty in that it was once the most terrifying hand held weapon out on the field. It may be more like an odd looking kids toy now, but in its day, this thing could bring men to their knees crying.

Finally placing down their flower displays, they start going over the display.

Dean pulled out a small aerosol can and sprayed a bit of it around the gun, revealing the infa red sensors that surrounded the prize in a web of alarm. He glanced over at Bela who was fishing through her flower pot and finally pulling out a mini-tool kit that she handed to the Captain.

"Okay, Key Master. Do your stuff," and she stepped back to let Dean get to work.

* * *

With a shout of triumph that was lost on the wind, Chuck completed his modifications to the board and made to stand up, but his legs had become jelly in the last few minutes as he worked, the adrenaline leaving his knees with all of the strength of a bendy straw.

Meg, seeing his problem, growled and ripped the motherboard from his trembling fingers and stood up herself to place it back in its compartment. It was getting damned cold out here and she didn't want to be dangling on a string much longer. Bad things happened whenever she was tethered to this boat.

The was carefully moving the board back into its slot when the ship suddenly rose up a few inches, closing the distance between the bottom of the estate and Meg's head.

She clicked on her radio, "Gorramn it, you morons! Hold the damn ship steady!"

* * *

"Gabe, there's another burst of wind coming our way. Looks like the tides are changing and bringing in some weather with them," Sam reported frantically from the radar. With the gravity dampeners on the ship Sam wasn't actually able to feel any changes in movement that the ship made, but nonetheless, he still felt his stomach lurch when out the window he could see the ocean horizon bouncing a bit. He couldn't imagine how Chuck and Meg were handling it.

"Sorry," Gabriel hissed into his radio to Meg, not really meaning it , but his hands clenched even tighter on the nav stick, "Wind's being a bitch and I can't hold her much steadier than this."

Sam wanted nothing more than to go over to the pilot to offer comfort, but he had a job and he needed to keep an eye on the radar. He sent all of his strength through prayer to the pilot beside him, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything, but then Gabriel smiled.

"Thanks, Sam," he said.

Sam didn't ask what he meant.

* * *

As the Impala dipped ever so slightly, Meg finally got a bit more 'head room' and started going back to work while Chuck watched on, checking to make sure that she was doing things right.

That's when he noticed that she was reaching for one of the connecting wires and he panicked, "Meg! No! The dyne-ram's live!" he shouted, but Meg couldn't hear over the roar.

She glanced behind at the mechanic annoyed, "What?"

Chuck was really worried not because she had not taken her hand off of the connecting wire yet, "The dyne-ram! Don't touch it—"

She never got to hear what he said because at that moment, a paralyzing zap shot through her.

Chuck watched in horror as a large blue bolt of energy jumped out of the bin control innards, striking Meg in the chest and knocked her out. She fell and landed hard on the top of the Impala and started sliding down.

Instinctively Chuck grasped for the tether as Meg's body slides and rolls down, only holding on by the harness.

Chuck started yelling, "Meg! Wake up! Meg!"

* * *

Dean dug his small wrench into the panel side crease under The Mexican, getting ready to tear it off and get his hands on the alarm controls. Just as he was about to put his strength in, Bela gripped his arm tight, holding him back.

"What," he whispered to her, his paranoia sparking up and making him tense as he noticed her panicked expression.

"Someone's coming," she hissed back.

At that, Dean quickly pulled the wrench from the panel, hid his tools in the flower pot and was about to duck behind a curtain when their mark walked right through the fucking door and his eyes fell on the two criminals right away.

Haymer froze as he saw them, much like how Bela and Dean were also frozen in place at being caught. The master of the house looked from one to the other in shock.

He raised a trembling finger and pointed at Dean, "You…" he said, his voice shaking.

Dean was terrified, just plain scared. Never had he been caught so red handed before. This was damn embarrassing…

Haymer dropped his hand and his eyes filled with tears, much to Dean's confusion, "…You found her!" the rich man cheered and rushed up to where Bela stood stalk still, echoing tears in her eyes now that Dean turned to look at her.

He took her in his arms and started to sob into her shoulder and she hugged him back just as fiercely, "Oh, God, you've brought back my wife!" he shouted in joy.

And Dean just stood there in jaded awe.

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

* * *

Whoo! That was an intense chapter to write! So much went on! :P


	10. Chapter 10

Notes: Some more plot, and serenity is playing on TV right now. Kinda distracted as I write the next chapter...

ship. me: You are so right...I should totally be getting quarters for each time. I'll be rich! :D

Disclaimer: Obviously I'm just too awesome, and if I owned this then the universe would implode. My awesome levels are just too damn high.

* * *

CHAPTER 10

He could only stand and watch in awe as Haymer held his 'wife' close to him, tears streaming down his joyful face. The whole scene would have been rather touching if Dean didn't know what he did; that Bela was a lying, cheating whore, and that this crying man was actually a no good Garrison murderer…He could see her face though, over her hubby's shoulder where she was looking rather vexed. Well, of course she would be. The latest car to her train of husbands had just interrupted their heist. She had to be pissed about that.

"Oh, my dear…" he sobbed into her shoulder and Dean rolled his eyes, but what he was really seeing were his chances as getting his pay day flying down the chute at this oh so happy reunion. Once he caught Bela's eye, he mimed hitting the guy, but she shook her head slightly while mouthing "no" at the Captain.

Still in his blissful unawareness, Haymer held her tight, the hug getting to that really awkward amount of time for others in the room, "Oh, my sweet, sweet Yolanda…"

That got Dean's attention and he mouthed an incredulous "Yolanda?" back at Bela, his face breaking out a smile in cruel amusement. Of course she scowled at him and slowly eased Haymer back, keeping him at arms length with her hands still placed on his chest. He didn't even notice the intentional distance since he was still too lost in his happy land.

"I thought I would never see you again!" he cheered, finally trying to fight off the welling emotions and get hold of himself before turning to address Dean at last, "Forgive me, sir. I don't mean to make a show," he apologized to Dean who had just straightened up and schooled his features as soon as the rich man had turned around.

Dean waved it off awkwardly, "Oh, uh, please it's fine. I'm the one intruding…"

"Not at all! I owe you a great debt of thanks!"

Dean shuffled his feat and tried his best to smile instead of grimace, "Just giving the lady a lift…" As if he would actually call her a 'lady' in real life. There were far more choice words that he would like to use for her.

Now the guy approached Dean, and even the Captain stepping back a few feet didn't stop the guy from giving him a quick and very thorough hug, "You did so much more than that! You returned to me the only thing I truly treasure!"

As the guy squeezed his ribs a bit too tightly, Dean choked out a reply, "Well, uh, then this day I'll feel real good to be me then…"

Without breaking the embrace, Haymer looked up into Dean's face, "Do I owe you any-?"

"No! Nope, trip wasn't even out of our way…but uh, you could maybe give me some, uh, space?"

Finally Haymer backed up, but he didn't seem the least bit offended and Bela slowly made her way up to his side to whisper in his ear loud enough for Dean to hear, "I promised him 800 platinum."

Dean was about to protest, but Haymer beat him to it seeing Dean's surprised reaction, "Please, sir! I'd be embarrassed not to make some recompense. I'll get something in my study…I…Are you hungry? You both look so tired, there's food, or…Yolanda, I'm babbling like a moon brain…" he said sheepishly, slightly out of breath. Again Dean was half tempted to feel sorry for the fool, but images of a burning house made his face harden.

Bela noticed and decided to hurry things along before the Captain changed his mind and went after their 'host', "Hush, Durran. We'll both have plenty to say by daybreak," she whispered, a delicate finger pressed to his lips.

"Six years…From the day we found your shuttle…" he whimpered.

She ran her hands through his hair, keeping his gaze away from the Captain, "They set me at Parth, these awful men," she started.

Haymer turned his horrified and questioning attention to Dean who shook his head frantically, "That wasn't me though. I don't know those men…promise."

Bela continued as if Dean had not spoken, "They said they wanted ransom, but they…they sold me to slavers…"

"Also unknown to me!" chirped Dean as Haymer turned once again.

Finally a look of utter shame fell upon the man's features, "At first I thought…well, you disappeared the same day as Heinrich…"

"Heinrich?" Dean asked, now raising an eyebrow at Bela.

"The security programmer. He was young…and I saw them talking and I thought…but after they found his body…"

Dean's eyes bugged and glared at Bela, but Haymer was too stupid and too lost in his bliss to put the pieces together.

"I never stopped looking for you, Yolanda," he said, trying to move in for another hug, and this time she let him.

"I knew you wouldn't. That's the thought that kept me alive," she answered, tears welling up in her eyes. Now the whole scene was just plain nauseating as they moved in for a passionate kiss that of course involved Dean watching a murdering whore, and a murdering Garrison whore lock lips.

Trying not to think of what he would like to do to the both of them, Dean chose to look anything but pissed off. So he checked his nails, looked at the art…the floor…until finally they broke apart.

"We have so much time to make-up," Haymer said, voice full of passion and unbridled lust that set Dean's stomach churning.

"Well, that's my cue to skedaddle…" and he started to leave the room only to be called after by Haymer.

"Oh, let me get your money!"he turned back to Bela, grasping her hands in his, "You won't disappear again?" he asked hopefully.

"Never," she whispered back with the same amount of passion in her voice, making the whole thing seem like one of the day time televid programs that he and Cas watched some times.

Finally he left the room, and the two sprang back into action, digging out the tools and ripping the panel face free to get at the alarm controls.

"Hurry up, we've got to move fast!" she urged.

"Yeah, he might come back and try to hug us again," Dean responded dryly, then ripped out the first wire.

* * *

Sam and Bobby stood together on a ladder as they struggled to lower the dead weight of the unconscious Meg into the ship as Chuck finally rolled her back to the open hatch. At the bottom of the ladder was Gabriel.

Using the tether as a guide, they started to lower her down to where the pilot was waiting, "Gabe? Gabe, you got her?" Sam called down as he and Bobby moved to start helping Chuck through the hatch.

Tilting his head, he looked to where Meg was still dangling from her harness and the nice five foot drop under her. He glanced up at Sam to make sure that he wasn't looking, "Yeah, Sammy. I got her." And on his cue, Bobby cut the tether, letting Meg fall straight onto the floor instead of into Gabriel's arms. He watched with satisfaction as she landed with a hard thud on the floor.

"Gabe? I heard a thud. You okay?" Sam asked, unable to turn around as he continued to try and juggle Chuck down.

"Just her massive ego hitting the floor…_and her ass,_" he whispered the last part so that the others couldn't hear. He moved her limbs with his foot to arrange her so that when the other three finally stepped off the ladder, it looked as if he had actually lowered her there gently.

All of them panting, they looked down at her, "Well…looks like you got yourself a patient, Gabriel," Bobby mumbled, lightly nudging the fallen crew member with the toe of his boot.

The pilot nodded, his face clouded with a subtle darkness that only Sam picked up on, making him frown.

Bobby left, taking Chuck with him while Sam and Gabriel stood over Meg.

"Uh, Gabe? You okay, man?" Sam prodded.

He may have been good at hiding emotion, but Sam could still pick up the dark glint in his eye even under the trickster's mask.

"Oh, I'm fine Sam. Just help me move her to the infirmary and I'll take care of it later," he said calmly, and he moved to grab her legs.

* * *

Wincing, Dean stuck a second finger into his mouth as he cut his finger in his frantic and speedy work on the alarm controls.

"Can't…fucking…believe you…" he growled around the fingers blocking his tonque.

Bela rolled her eyes, "You don't know him. He's everything I said he was. You shouldn't be feeling bad for the bastard," she reminded him as he let out another string of curses.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten that he's a killer of men, how he eats up babies….destroys families…I hate him plenty. What I'm actually pissed about, _Yolanda_, is you thinking it's okay to sneak into a place that you could walk into as welcome as can be and go through this whole song and dance with us? I mean, why the fuck drag us into this? Where's the math on that?"

"The _math_ is you not adding up that Durran Haymer would as soon cut your throat as—"

Dean half turned around while still digging through the wires, "No. That isn't it at all. You would have knocked him on the brain, if that was the case. For whatever reason, you don't want him knowing the truth. Unlike all the…I'm going to go with hundreds…of men you've married, you actually want this one to think well of you after you've gone," he ranted.

He tried his best not to think about how this might relate to something else that was going on…

With a bright flash, the force field around the gun flickered and disappeared and Dean was able to reach in and easily grab The Mexican. He lifted it up to show her with a bright shit eating grin. But then another light flicked on in his head.

"…Wait…My god, could it be that…I've just met your _real_ husband?" he chuckled as realization dawned.

Bela's calm persona melted away into steam that came out her ears and she backed up to her flower arrangement and whipped out a gun to point at Dean's head, "Congratulations, anything else you want on your tombstone, you piece of crap!"

"Now _I'm_ intruding."

They both turned to see the arrival of Haymer back into the room, prompting Bela to lower the gun, seemingly genuinely upset that Haymer had caught them.

"Durran…This isn't what it looks like…" she offered weakly, not at all the frantic plea that Dean had heard with Monty. This time is was truly desperate.

"Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Mexican… 'cause that's exactly what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun she's holding, cause that's new," Dean said defensively, not about to help Bela out after she pulled the gun. As he spoke the Captain moved elegantly past Haymer and dropped the Mexican into the trash chute just outside the door and hit the button as the hidden monster of a man stood stock still, staring at Bela.

"Well. I appreciate _your_ honsesty…not, you know, a lot, but—"

Bela broke in, "Durran, you don't know what he's forced me to do," she tried, but Haymer held up his hand, his expression finally cracking the mask and showing the hidden rage beneath.

"Stop. Yolanda…you best stop there."

The sadness in his voice was terrible, and the frantic misery in hers was equally as deep, "Durran…don't look at me like that," she cried and moved up close to him…

…only to whip the gun in her hand across his temple sending him sprawling to the ground.

'I said don't look at me like that!" she shrieked, the butt of the weapon still held high over his head as Dean watched in muted horror.

* * *

Crazy bitch…


	11. Chapter 11

Notes: So yeah, I'm watching the lorax while I write today. I could totally see Cas being the little lorax guy too...this is very distracting.

leahelisabeth: Dude sleeping in is totally worth it. I wish I coulda, but that's what saturday is for! :D And just you wait for chapter 14, sweetie ;)

ship. me: No worries, all of our bad girls will be punished, I promise ;) Hearts!

otex: Distressed! Oh noes! Quick, here! Another chapter! Enjoy and feel good! Cas will be back soon, I promise!

Disclaimer:I don't own this, so I'm going to go buy myself some blue jello and cream soda to feel better.

* * *

CHAPTER 11

Once again Chuck found himself dangling by a thread outside of the Impala. Meg's first attempt at the placement of the motherboard had fried a few wires here and there, and that left the dumpster dead in place. At least they didn't have to worry about Dean and Bela having enough time to drop the gun before the dumpster was taken away. But of course they still had to worry about being noticed…

This time around it was Sam who held him steady, his large hands firm on his shoulders as Chuck sweated and cursed into the wind. He stood teetering on precarious tippy-toe, straining to plug the new wire into the top part of the control panel on the dumpster.

"Almost done…Just have to plug the interface strike-plate back…in," he shouted to his companion, but Sam just shook his head and screamed back into his ear.

"I can't hear you and I really don't care. Just get this done so we can go back inside!"

"What?!"

Sam didn't try again, he just gave a rough shake to the shoulders in his hands to get Chuck to turn around and finish. The younger Winchester was not about to let the mechanic get sidetracked and let down Dean. His big brother would need things to run as smoothly as possible for this caper because if they didn't have the goods when all was said in done, all Dean would be able to take away from this would be a sour Cas and disappointed crew. Neither of which he needed or deserved.

A blinking light on the panel caught Sam's attention and he squeezed to get Chuck's attention, "Hey! What the hell is that?" he asked, pointing to the light in case Chuck couldn't hear him over the roar.

Chuck glanced down at the light and Sam could feel him tense in front of him, "It's the pick-up call! They must have dropped the gun already!" Chuck squealed and Sam heard him for sure that time around.

"Fix it then!"

Chuck tried to comply, but the last bit of wire he had to plug in was a good two inches higher than he could reach, "I can't!" He glanced behind them to see the garbage drone in the distance, taking a hard turn towards them like a shark nosing towards its prey. They only had about 30 seconds before it would arrive, clamp on to their dumpster and take the gun to the incinerator.

Noting the mechanic's problem, Sam reached for the radio on his shoulder, "Gabe! We need a little more altitude…Now!"

"_Working on it, dear"_ came Gabriel's strained voice over the radio and Sam winced knowing that the pilot's job got ten times harder now that there was no one to help read the radar for him while he worked the controls.

Then the ship lurched up, making both Chuck and Sam lurch right along with it and almost making both of them lose their lunch. Regaining their balance, Chuck finally got his fingers around the wire again and started to quickly start splicing it to the old ones.

"Chuck…" Sam whined as he watched the drone move closer.

Chuck's fingers slipped and he almost dropped the wire stripper.

"ChuckChuckChuck!" Sam panicked.

Finally Chuck snapped the strike-plate into place, "Got it!" he shouted, but the last part was more of a strangled gasp as Sam pulled the mechanic down hard onto the ship, their heads only narrowly avoiding getting squashed between the drone and the dumpster. The klang above them of the metal on metal wasn't lessened at all by the wind and it made them both flinch horribly.

They both lay prone on the top of the ship, taking a moment to enjoy the wonder of actually still being alive before they turned to each other, exchanging a look of frantic relief and then scurrying like rats in light into the safety of the ship where Bobby was waiting.

Chuck hoped that it was with a fresh pair of underwear.

* * *

"_There in! Go! Go!"_ Bobby's voice crackled over the comm. to Gabriel in the control room.

"Copy that, Preacher Man!"

And he hauled back on the joy stick, dropping the Imapala away from the underbelly of the estate, then peeling into a dive and sailing off.

Out of the rear-view cam, Gabriel could see the drone detach from the chute, taking their dumpster with it. He sent out a quick prayer that it was programmed correctly.

"Bobby? Tell me that they're okay?...Bobby?!" he called over the comm. as they flew away

The radio crackled a bit in his ear, making his heart clench tight before the Sheppard's gruff voice came out, "_They're fine, just a suffering from some spectacular bad hair_."

"Copy that."

And Gabriel melted in his seat, his fingers almost going lax on the controls. It was never a fun time to literally have your lover's life in your hands.

"Sweet lord, why don't you just rip my heart out and eat it in front of me…probably less painful," he muttered under his breath and braced himself for Sam's return to the control room in the next few minutes once he was free of his harness.

His arrival would either go one of two ways. First would be Gabriel ditching the controls to leap into his arms, or two, he would fall to the floor in laughter as the mentioned bad hair. Either way the ship was going to be short a driver for a moment.

And Gabriel couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

On gut reaction alone, Dean stepped up to the two of them, putting his hands up in a 'let's all get a hold of our wacky selves here" motion.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's not get worked up here! We got the goods, let's get out of here!" This wasn't how the Winchesters did things. This killing would be in cold blood, and they always tried to avoid killing in general. They were thieves, not murderers. Any 'incident' that implicated them in a killing of a Garrison employee could become a real problem for his crew that already had a couple red flags on them. His thoughts flew to Cas.

"Are you really that naïve?! Do you really think your life is anything to me!" Bela hollered at the prone man on the floor, her face turning red with true emotion, completely ignoring Dean who was slowly inching his way from the trash chute to his own flower arrangement, and then like lightning snatching up his own weapon and pointing it to her head.

Finally she took notice and snarled at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing? I'm cleaning up a mess here. You should be thankful I'm taking out _this_ trash!"

Dean didn't blink, nor look at the man on the floor knowing that it would only make him second guess himself, "Don't'…don't tell me I should be thankful for having to consider taking out this son of a bitch. We're _not_ killing _anyone_ today, on account of our very tight schedule and that I don't want this particular blood trail leading to us!" Dean shouted, omitting his reasoning that this would give the Garrison yet another reason to be on their tail, "So why don't you drop that gun, and we'll be on our—"

He saw her head turn back to the man on the floor and her finger start to tighten. Then in frantic panic, Dean charged at her, shouting loudly along the way, "DROP IT NOW!" his whole attitude wrought with controlled fury, putting the gun to her head. Finally she dropped the gun in surprised terror, realizing that he truly meant business, but her eyes didn't leave Haymer. Which was fine with the Captain as he swiped up her gun from the floor and sticking it in his pocket.

She glared at Haymer, her slight frame trembling as she looked down at him, "Did you think I was a princess? That I would stay locked up here in the tower? With you?

"I had hoped," he whispered back, his voice choked on dismal emotion.

She sniffed hard and her mask fell back in place, "Well then you're a rutting fool."

"Bela, let's go. We're short on minutes here…" Dean urged. They had a few things to take care of after all…

"So how long have you been with Ken Doll, then?" Haymer asked then, his voice finally filling with venom as he looked upon his true wife for the first time.

Dean doubled back and waved a disgusted hand in his face, "Oh, we are _not together—"_ he started, but Bela cut him off.

"He's my husband," she sneered, trying to twist the knife she held in the downed man's gut.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Who in this damned galaxy isn't!?" and he grabbed her arm to start pulling her away bodily, clearly fed up with the real-time soap opera going on in front of him.

Though, as Dean pulled her away she turned her head to deliver one last blow, "At least I'm not the patsy who just got robbed. If you had half a brain, you would have called those fed buddies of yours the minute you saw me," she egged, but it was the smile that crept over Haymer's features that turned Dean's blood to ice.

"Oh, but I did…" he held up his hand that held a fancy modern looking ring upon it…and that ring most definitely had a button on it. Damn bastard had a fucking life alarm that they gave to little old grannies!

"Isn't it nice? It's an emergency signal for kidnappings and the like. A gift from the Garrison for all of my…services. I did love you Yolanda, but I couldn't think for a second that you were actually here for me. You should know that someone like me wouldn't notice that I was beign stabbed in the back?" he turned at the sound of approaching footsteps in the distance, "Hm, that would be the feds now, I believe," he said smugly.

For a moment Dean considered letting her have the gun back and letting her blow his brains away, but he just turned to her fuming.

She shrugged and rolled her eyes, "Fucking men…"

Outside the windows they could see a trio of fed cruiser ships descending to the estate, sirens blaring and light flashing.

* * *

Gah! Sudden action?! A little bit of Sabriel? Bela with feelings?! Another cliffhanger?! What just happened!? Next chapter up tomorrow, and I'm about to start the last chapter to this story (chapter 14) and let's just say...I'm nervous about this one. I really hope that it comes out well and that it will satisfy you guys until I can...delve deeper. But we're getting closer to the end of the series, and I want to move things along before I start season 2, soooo...here goes! Wish me luck and feel free to message me with anything at all, something you want me to add, suggest, stop, take away, or you want to talk about your family probs. I'm bored and its friday, my last free night for a while XD


	12. Chapter 12

Notes: Dude, guys, yo...chapter 14...I don't even...I'm really not sure how I wrote it, but...yeah. Anyway, enough spoilers, on to chapter 12!

leahelisabeth: Oh, don't you worry, I haven't forgotten them. I got sabriel covered in 14...;)

otex: I've been calling 'em episodes in my head, so why not XD And don't you worry about Cas! I have many plans for him... ;)

Disclaimer: I get nothing! I stole fizzy lifting drinks!

* * *

CHAPTER 12

Like some demented chameleon, changing her colors and emotions to save her scrawny ass, Bela scurried up to Haymer, desperation in both her eyes and her voice, " Durran, peaches, just call them off…Tell them is was all a mistake, please!" She started pawing at his fancy duds.

Even Dean had to roll his eyes at that, and Haymer simply grabbed her wrists off of his shirt where they clung frantically and pried her claws away. He released them by roughly throwing her arms aside, "You need help, Yolanda," he hissed, disgust clear in his eyes.

But Bela wasn't above begging and she tried even harder, "I'll do whatever you want…you know how I can make you feel…"

Haymer's face scrunched up, "Please. You're embarrassing yourself," and Dean had to agree with him there, but then she finally delivered that punch that he had been waiting for since the very moment that Haymer showed his ugly face in the parlor.

Haymer dropped like a bag of bricks, miraculously unconscious with the single blow.

"I'm embarrassed? Who's the dupe on the floor?" she sneered, then she spat on him as Dean came up and grabbed her arm again.

"Listen, I hate to bring up our imminent arrest during your crazy time, but we have got to move now!"

He tugs one last time and they were off, leaving Haymer in a pool of his own foolish misery.

* * *

In a hoard of black clothing and heavy weapons, the swarm of feds arrived at the door to the house that had the signal coming from it. They slapped the comm. box beside the entrance, "This is the Garrison Police! Response team for emergency call code!" the leader called out. He didn't hear any response to tell him that it was an error and the button was accidentally hit, so he signaled to his team to bust down the door.

With a great smash, they bludgeoned through the metal frame, blowing the door into the hallway on the other side and they all rushed in after, guns raised.

All the first fed had to do was glance around the first corner before he saw the retreating forms of Dean and Bela as they hoofed it out of the parlor.

Dean chose to let Bela take lead in this, trusting that the woman of the house would have the better idea of how to get them out of this mess…well, get herself out of this mess anyhow.

They rounded the next corner only to come face to face with a second set of feds coming through one of the side doors, "Hands Up, Garrison office—"

Luckily for them, the cop was more surprised to see them there than they were, and Dean was able to take him down with a few well-placed kicks and punches, only to find themselves facing two more feds, both also startled but still raising the rifles.

Dean was about to charge forward and hope for the best, but he was grabbed by Bela and steered around a corner that he hadn't seen because of those damned giant vases that lined the hallways. He could practically feel the vibrations of the steel-toed boots of the feds only a few feet behind them.

Hearts pounding away in their chests, they came upon another door that Bela kicks open with her high heeled boot, and letting it swing open to partially blind them with the light of day. Not waiting for his eyes to adjust, Dean slammed the door shut behind them, holding it shut while Bela pulled out her code enabler and working it to re-lock the door by manipulating the security panel.

Dean grunted as he felt each blow that the feds delivered to the door as they kicked and scratched at the exit.

"You wanna hurry up with that?" he said through grinding teeth.

"Just shut up and hold the door."

Not five seconds later they heard the dull thunk of the lock sliding back into place, effectively locking the cops behind the door, and they wasted no more time standing there and surged forward and charged through the ornate garden that the exit had delivered them into.

Dean had to hand it to her. The garden was the perfect cover for them. There were plenty of ignorant people still mulling around and the giant rose bushes and masterfully carved trees help shield them from any fed who might be scanning the area.

They ducked and dove to each new bush as they scurried through the garden, their thoughts only to getting back to the shuttle. They didn't even want to think about what they would do if the ship had been seized.

Rolling to the last hedge, they stopped under their last bit of cover to catch their breath, the shine of the shuttle only 30 yards away…across completely open terrain and two feds swiveling their heads around as they stood guard not even twenty feet away.

"Shit…now what?" Dean groaned as Bela practically deflated next to him in weary almost defeat.

"Seduce them?" she sneered.

"Well, that will get me home, but what about you," he commented, sarcasm practically dripping from him like his sweat.

She threw him a disgusted look, "How about you give me my gun back?"

Dean didn't have time to answer because the shadow of a human figure suddenly appeared on the grass around them and they looked up to see the two feds bearing down on them. Without thinking Dean sprung into action, running on pure survival instinct and flipped on his back and kicked both feet in the air, knocking both of the feds back with the wind knocked out of them.

Bela followed suit, leaping upon the two fallen officers like a cat and wailing on them, hand-to-fist-to-face, making sure that each one got their fair amount. When Dean determined that neither of the cops would be able to pursue in their dazed state, he once again pried Bela away and making sure that she couldn't nab the gun she was going for, and rushed them to the shuttle.

"Nope! Let's go!"

And they did.

* * *

Finally breaching the door, the lead officer searched through the garden, looking for any sign of their targets. Seeing nothing he cursed and cued up his radio, "Subjects have exited the residence and are on the grounds. Does anyone have a visual?!"

His radio cackled in silence.

He didn't even look up as an old looking shuttle flew away over his head, unnoticed and unpursued.

* * *

Flicking a few switches, Dean engaged the autopilot and took a moment to collect himself as they finally reached a safe distance from the estates. It wouldn't be too long before they would reach the coordinates that they had decided upon.

That was way too close, he thought to himself as he dabbed his hand on his head only to come back sopping wet with all of the accumulated sweat that had gathered on his brow.

Scrunching up his face in disgust, he wiped off his hand on his shirt before getting up and walking up to Bela who was sullenly sitting on one of Anna's couches in the back. She may have been a raving lunatic, but he had to take notice of the pain that was in her eyes. Genuine, he supposed.

Call it his inner Sam voice, but he felt some sick obligation to say something, at least to fill the silence until they reached their destination, "So uh, that must have been tough," he tried.

It pulled a snort from her, "Yeah, have yourself a great guffaw," she said bitterly.

Dean frowned and moved a little closer, "No, I mean it. Six years, you knew that he was holding all of those goodies in his house and you didn't make a move on him," he watched for a reaction but got none, so he continued, "I gotta figure that it was a job that you told yourself you'd never take…till times got hard enough, and the one line you hadn't crossed…"

He trailed off, thinking of how he could actually relate to her in this. Risking something special because times were tough, even if you knew it would be painful and could go so wrong…

She whipped her head around to look the Captain, the fire burning bright in her eyes again, "My name is not Yolanda," she hissed fiercely.

He smirked, "Never thought that it was."

She looked away again, "I tried. I actually tried. I thought, "this is a decent man. The genuine article…besides being a murderous fuck," her tone at first was worldly, bitter even, but there was clearly more underneath that even Dean could pick up on.

"Yeah, a working man, struggling to get by with the barest of necessities on his own private floating island…" he sneered sarcastically.

She laughed, "Yeah, he had money. I thought it would help. That if I had everything, I wouldn't want…"

"That security programmer guy?"

An inelegant sound came from her as she giggled, "You know, I had totally forgotten his name," she laughed, looking off into the distance like she was reliving a half memory.

"And addressing my itch of curiosity…did you marry that guy too?"

She glanced back at him and winked, "Nope! Didn't even kill him either."

Now, Dean paused here a moment and thought about it, and he didn't think she was lying. He leaned on the wall next to her and shuffled his feet, "No…I don't think you've killed many people…just put them in a position to die easy."

"Maybe I should have killed Durran then…" she sighed wistfully. Dean couldn't help but daydream a few choice ways to have dealt with the man as well, but he had to think about the future and what could come of his murder.

Bela let out another loud sniff and threw a dirty look at the Captain, "Oh, you must be loving this," she sneered through her runny nose and welling eyes.

"Yeah, well, I've seen you without your clothes on before, but I never thought I'd see you naked."

She looked up at him with seemingly genuine pleading in her eyes, "Can…can people ever change?"

Dean remembered a time not too long ago when his life was nothing but blood, war, revenge, pain. The only light in his life was Sam. And then he got his ship and slowly everything started to change. He made friends, he made a home, he broke free of the bonds that had held him since that fiery night that changed everything. And then he opened a box in his hold, and someone told him that he was a good man.

Since then he thought of 'past' Dean as another being, some creature from his past that was best left in his cage. He was born new and the blood and dirt had been washed away at long last. The only evidence left behind were a few scars to remind him of what he could never become again.

"Depends on the person, I suppose. But with you…I bet once the pain fades away, you'll just go back to being what you are," he offered with a shrug, making her turn to him, questioning and maybe a little bit of accusing anger in her eyes.

"And just what am I, then?"

He sighed and got down in front of her, meeting her light eyes, "A brilliant, evil black widow, crossed with a snake, all cleverly disguised as pretty young girl. So cheer up, we won ourselves a buttload of hard cash today. You can question the meaning of life on a floaty island of your own time," he offered reluctantly, praying that Cas didn't find out about this particular moment. Wouldn't that just be perfect?

"And you won't tell anyone how easily I got your gun out of your holster?" she asked hopefully.

"I won't"

A sly smile then crept over her features, "Then I won't tell your lover or your brother how easily I got your gun out of your holster."

Dean frowned and looked down at his belt, right away zoning in on the empty gun holster. His eyes flickered shut and he mentally cursed himself. He had been waiting for this, but it still kinda hurt that she had actually caught him off guard.

He offered a deadpan look to her, "I'll take that as a personal kindness," he said dryly and they rose from their seats with Bela holding the barrel of her gun against his belly.

"You must be the most gullible fool I have _ever_ marked! Aren't you just the special one," she laughed, a full sounds that made Dean cringe.

"You can pump me full of lead, Bela, but that won't change that everything I just saw was actual real emotion," he said softly and she frowned and shoved the gun hard into his gut with a growl.

"I _played_ you! From minute one," she defended, but Dean could plainly see the lie in her eyes.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Well, you're the one with the gun, so who am I to argue. What's your plan now?" he asked, but he sort of already had an idea. As he said before, she wasn't one to kill outright, more of a let's drop the worm in the pond and maybe a fish will get it, type girl.

"We'll be settling down in the desert. Leave you out to roast for a spell. I bet you'll look great with a tan."

Bingo.

"Oh, and speaking of naked…" she giggled and eyed Dean's form up and down.

Dean thought for a moment and then groaned, "Now that's just low! I'm gonna come out of this a boiled lobster!" he whined.

"_If_ you get out of this. Besides, this kind of evens things out, don't you think? I never did get a chance to get you out of your clothes that first time. So let's start with pants," she gestured to the mentioned article of clothing with the gun, a smirk plain on her face.

At the cock of the hammer, Dean rolled his eyes and started to undo his trousers.

Yet another thing that Dean prayed Cas didn't find out about…

* * *

And Cas will be returning in tomorrow! Yay! And I shall begin work on the next episode. The re-write of 'The Message'.


	13. Chapter 13

Notes: G damn...these last two chapters were super long...longest ones so far it seems. Could have totally split them up into three or four chapters, but I'm not that cruel.

leahelisabeth: Damn straight! She lost her chance long ago! XD

Disclaimer: I own nothing as I am a slave to my own imagination...wait, that was pretty deep. I wish I could claim that.

* * *

CHAPTER 13

It took the whole walk up to the control room for Sam to get his hair back into some sort of controlled chaos before he met up with Gabriel. He just knew that the pilot would probably wet himself if he got a glance at the wind-swept hair that Sam was sporting not five minutes ago. Hopefully Chuck's magnificent display of gust induced fro and friz would be enough to entertain the playful pilot.

Still, as he ducked his head to avoid hitting the doorframe on his entrance to the room, instead of seeing Gabriel's face turn purple with laughter, he saw pale features as Gabriel got up from his seat and moved up to embrace Sam tightly.

The pilot himself was surprised at his actions as he felt Sam's arms circle around him after a beat. It wasn't even the most dangerous situation that Sam had been put in and here he was trembling like a leaf.

"Gabe? You okay?" Sam asked after a moment.

The pilot nodded into Sam's shirt and looked up, his eyes suspiciously bright, "Yeah, I'm fine…can you watch the controls for a few minutes? With the whole rush I never got a chance to fix up Meg," he choked out a fake laugh, but Sam could see something hidden in the pilot's eyes.

"Sure, uh. Go ahead…"

Bobby and Chuck entered the room just as Gabriel left, all of them awkwardly sucking in their stomachs so that they wouldn't get wedged in the doorframe. The preacher and mechanic both turned to the younger Winchester with questioning eyes as they each noticed the odd glint in the pilot's eyes as he brushed past.

Sam shrugged and moved over to the flight stick and took a seat, "Bobby, can you check the radar for me? See if we've got anyone on our tails."

The preacher moved over to the screen and peered over it, "Don't look like it. Must be in the clear, so let's turn this boat around. The bin'll be dumped by now. Let's get there before anyone else does," he advised.

Sam nodded in agreement and pulled on the ship controls, only to frown when the ship wouldn't respond.

"Uh…I can't?"

Both Bobby and Chuck scrunched up their faces at the slight panic and confusion in the young man's voice, "What do you mean you can't? You do remember how to steer, right?" Bobby huffed, feeling the fingers of fear start to inch back over his heart.

"I mean, I can't…turn," he tried to pull harder at the controls, but there was no change, "I'm not getting any tug from the aft alternator…" he guessed and turned to Chuck, begging with his wide eyes that he provide an answer to the problem.

The mechanic started to breath heavy and ran a hand through his already mussed hair, "What? That doesn't make any sense…unless…" he looked up at them and the light dawned between the three of them.

Three voices rang out together, "Aw, shit."

* * *

Chuck dove straight for the engine, looking over all of the nuts and bolts like his life depended on it…which it probably did actually. He knew that to cause the problem that they were facing that the damage would be done…there. And it took only a second to see what was done.

He held up a stripped wire for all to see and it sent Bobby and Sam into a string of curses, Sam punching the wall nearest them, and Bobby rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Now I wonder who could have possibly done that," the preacher said sarcastically.

"Tah-shr suo-yo dee-yure duh biao-tze duh mah! I can't believe we fell for it all again! She was only gone from the kitchen for a few minutes!" Sam cursed. (Whores in hell) He should have expected this, hell they should have _all _ expected this. And now Dean was somewhere off with Bela, probably about to get screwed if he hadn't already.

He only spared a moment to think of Cas, wondering why he hadn't done more to warn them this time around.

"I can fix it, but she must have put a timer on the motivator and wetwires the dampener with—"

Sam cut the mechanic off, "What does that mean, Chuck?" the bit out, now a bit freaked and impatient to find out what it meant for his brother and for them.

Chuck glanced around the room, quickly scanning for any other hidden surprises that might have been left behind. As it was, this wasn't life threatening, at least not to them, and they certainly weren't headed for another giant net of doom.

"If this is all I have to deal with, then we'll be fine, but it also means that we aren't going to make the rendezvous…"

Taking a moment to absorb the information, Sam nodded, "Fine. Just get this done fast. I'll go tell Gabriel that you could use some help," and he stormed out of the engine room, leaving Chuck to start tinkering and Bobby hovering nearby.

* * *

Balthazar had fallen asleep hours ago having finally given up on trying to get Castiel to play a game of friendly strip poker. He supposed that he would have tried harder to get a tournament going if there were more lovely people around. Somehow it just wasn't the same when it was just you and your little brother.

Castiel however, had simply remained seated calmly in the corner of the little ship, the window to the outdoor clear in his view.

But, once his older brother had given up and leaned back in one of the chairs and fallen into the calming embrace of sleep, Castiel slowly uncurled and he silently moved over to the computer cortex and opened up the message that he had been waiting for.

He smirked as he read it. This may have been a dumb plan from the start, but at least they knew that it was dumb going in.

He slowly got up from the computer and padded over to Balthazar, his bare feet making no sounds upon the paneled floor and raised to fingers to place them softly on his brother's brow.

It would be far easier to explain this all later. Until then, Balthazar could sleep.

He powered up the shuttle and set off. It was his turn.

* * *

"That dirty dirty whore…"

With a sigh that would have made Bobby proud, Dean turned his face up into the sky letting the sun beat down. He could feel the prickle of his skin as the burn bridged over his nose and brow. It would only be a few more minutes until the freckles he had hated so much as a child would come out to dot his features.

He smiled as he remembered that one morning he had woken up to Cas not even two inches away from his face, claiming that he had been waiting all night for Dean to wake up so that he could finish counting the freckles on the side of his face that was buried in the pillow.

Dean had a feeling, well he hoped anyway, that Cas would probably have to start all over again as the sun welcomed a whole new batch to his face.

Around him the wind blew, whipping up dust and sand around him. Of course he would have to be butt naked for this. It was going to take him ten showers to finally get the sand out from…well, everywhere.

He dug his feet further under the sand to find that cold layer that would sooth his burning soles.

"I hope Cas is good at healing sunburns…"

* * *

Just like they had planned, the dumpster had been dumped by the drone in another part of the vast wasteland of the dust island. And after dropping the pissed off Captain a hundred miles back, she had happily turned her new acquired shuttle to the coordinates.

Popping the lid off of the top, she peered down into the contents, and it looked just like any other dumpster should; full of smelly, rotting, slimy, grimy, and did she mention smelly trash. But to her, the smell of the fortune buried there was enough to let her jump in without a moments hesitation. It would only be a matter of time before the mechanic would fix her little surprise and head her way. So with an enthusiastic flourish, she tossed the first bag of rotten fruit out of her way and started to dig. The gun couldn't have gotten too far buried since it was the last stop that the dumpster visited.

Or so she thought.

Almost an hour later she had gotten to the point of ripping apart each bag and further searching through the sludge and grime, getting filth of unholy and unknown substances under her fingernails and seeping into her clothes, and she still couldn't find the gorramn gun.

"Blaerghch! Where the fuck is it!?" she screeched into the emptiness around her. She kicked the nearest bag in her furious frustration, sending moldy meat, ripe eggshells, and a whole host of sticky, wet rubbish ricocheting off the walls and of course coming back to splatter over her body, a little bit making it's way into her mouth.

She started cursing anew, spitting and gacking on whatever filmy residue had attached to her tongue.

"You really shouldn't play around in the trash. There are billions of bacteria crawling around in there just looking for a host like you."

Bela whipped around to see where the voice had come from, only to find the little crazy man sitting pretty and clean on the ledge of the dumpster, his face as blank as can be as he looked at her…The Mexican in his hands and pointed straight at her.

He looked at the trash around her feet, noting the torn bags and state of her clothes and frowned as if concerned, "Are you perhaps looking for something? I remember one time that Balthazar accidentally threw away one of Father's special collection pieces and had to dig through the trash for hours to—"

"You damn well know what I'm looking for, freak," she hissed, her eyes focused solely on the prize that Castiel held.

He looked surprised and started to inspect the weapon in his hand as if studying it for the first time, "You mean this? It's a lovely piece, isn't it? A lot of history behind it…I wonder if it works…"

Without waiting another beat, he aimed the laser gun at her head and fired once, but all that came from it were some whining noises and a fizzle of sparks at the nozzle. He looked disappointed and set it aside, "Ah-well, still worth a fortune I suppose…" and then he pulled up the pistol that Dean had slipped into the shuttle when he had stopped by to 'say goodbye', "This one works just fine though! Dean loaded it for me earlier," he told her proudly.

The odd timber of his voice, and the strange dreamy look in his eyes had set her on edge since the first time she had met the man so many months ago, and now it sent her whole body cold. There were just so many things about him that screamed unnatural to her. First, he has seen right through her the second that she arrived, and not just seen that she was lying, but what her plans were. Like he could read her mind or something. And then he had somehow survived the double dose of her drug. Worst of all, it was damn near impossible for her to read him, and that was her last defense.

This guy had haunted her in more ways than one.

"What are you even doing here?" she bit out, trying her best not to let her terror show on her face.

He looked to her and straightened up with a satisfied smirk, "I'm doing _my_ part of the job," he stated proudly.

"What? What part of the job?"

"Oh, it was really interesting, you know. While you were stuffed in your little box, Dean and I came up with the idea to start a fight, make you think like you had won. I would put on this big act and storm away in a huff, then Dean sends me off, we all wait for you to doublecross Dean, then I get sent the coordinates and I beat you to the rendevouz spot and grab the goods before you can get it…did you not see it coming? I was quite afraid that I wouldn't be convincing," he got out all in one breath, a truly alarming feat that got Bela wondering once again what the hell this guy was.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she snarled.

"Nope!" and he pulled out a remote and clicked the button while swinging his legs out of the dumpster as the lid closed on Bela, locking her in the aromatic pit in complete darkness, "Just putting the jack-ass back in it's box."

He hopped down from the top and started to walk back to the shuttle, The Mexican still clenched in his hands, only to stop and turn back. He knocked politely on the side paneling, the echoing bang clearly heard by Bela inside.

"Bela? This is Castiel speaking to you. I almost forgot to tell you that Dean also sent a message to the police of this planet with the coordinates. They should be arriving here soon for you, so please sit back and enjoy all that this paradise has to offer," and he walked off, the sounds of muffled screaming filling his ears and making him smile.

* * *

The world that Meg woke up to was…fuzzy, and bendy. To the best of her knowledge, Meg guessed that she was probably in the infirmary, and that she hadn't died up on the edge of the Impala after all.

Groggily she turned her head to her left where she could faintly hear the sounds of tinkering metal. What she could make out was the blurry outline of the juvenile pilot, fiddling with some surgical tools on a tray next to the bed.

She tried to force out a witty comment, but it came out a garbled, "Wah guwwunoh?"

The fiddling stopped and two molten gold eyes focused in on her, that she could make out clearly. Her whole body might have been numb, but she still felt the ice that froze in every vein at his look.

"What's going on is that you got a little shock," he stated calmly.

"Wrll, awren't you gonna phix me?"

He didn't answer right away, instead he glanced up and down her body, an odd glint in his expression that she didn't like much. Reminded her a bit too much of his baby brother, and of course that reminded her that it wasn't just Castiel that was messed around with. The pilot could be hiding a whole host of terrors that he hid under that happy go-lucky persona. She shivered.

"Tell me, Meg…Can you move your arms and legs?" he asked her calmly.

She frowned and looked down at her limbs and tried her best to flex…only she couldn't move anything below her neck. The ice moved to her heart that started to beat faster.

"Dah nod movin'!" she grunted, panic painting her features.

He nodded sagely, "And do you want to know why?" he asked with an eerie calm on his face, "Your spine. You hit it pretty hard when you fell."

"'pine?"

"Yes. So I used my mojo to knock out your motor functions for a little bit so you wouldn't wrench it when you came to. I'll put everything back in place soon enough, I just wanted to have a little chat with you first and I didn't want you scurrying away before we were done."

She braced herself as the pilot stood up from his stool and leaned casually over the bed, making sure that he met her eyes as he spoke, "I just wanted to know….how much they offered you when you tried to sell me and Castiel back on Ariel?"

He watched as the panic rose like the tide in her eyes as they widened, "Das crazy talk."

She thought that this was all past her, that she had dodged the bullet when she and Castiel had "talked" right after the heist. He had told her that it was over. Had the little brat gone crying to big brother after he had almost sent her out the airlock?

Gabriel leaned in even closer, his breath damningly hot on her face, "Then let's talk crazy. How much?"

Lolling her head to both sides, searching for the presence of someone else, anyone else who would pull her away from this lunatic, but no one was in sight. She resigned herself to look back at her captor.

"Oh, honey, I know you think that Cassy-bear told me about your little secret, but really I figured it out all by my self. Truth be said, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not seeing it sooner. I was a tad too distracted by the Host and feds to take notice in the hospital, and I was still high on the after affects of the escape to ponder on how the hell the Host had gotten the news so fast, but you know what it was that finally clued me in?"

He looked down at her and she swallowed hard.

"It was this whole Bela thing. I've been thinking, worrying, and sweating these last few days that Bela would somehow know about me and my brothers, that she would turn us in for a fortune of a reward that would make the gun look like she won the Sunday church raffle as opposed to the lottery,"

He started to twirl a lock of her brown hair between his fingers as he spoke, his eyes staring off into nothing, the whole scene playing out like a horror movie, "And of course, I started working out in my head what steps she would have to take, how things would play out for us…and her. And you know what I noticed? There were a lot of similarities between what I was thinking and what had happened to us a few weeks back. How about that, huh?"

His laugh echoed through the room and a cold sweat broke out over Meg's skin, making her clothes stick to her, "Then I thought back to what Cas had said during the heist, and how he has been acting ever since and…well, I've already told you that I'm pissed at myself for not seeing it sooner."

Meg was slowly starting to get some feeling back in her tongue, but it had never felt so dry before in her life, "So what? You gonna try to kill me too? Leave me paralyzed?" she gurgled at him.

He looked at her quizzically, as if considering her offer, "We're in a dangerous line of work, Meg. Odds are that you'll be needing either myself or Castiel to be healing you at some point. So I want you to understand one thing very clearly," he got down close to her again, "No matter what you do or say, or plot…no matter how you come down on us…" he pressed his fingers to Meg's forehead and she squeezed her eyes shut, fearful of what was to come.

"Neither of us will ever harm you while you are being healed by us. We're you're crew, we've go the same troubles, the same enemies, and more than enough of both of those. Now we could all circle around each other, growl, sleep with eyes open but that thought kind of tuckers me out. I think that out little adventure with the Host put the fear of God in you, so I'm gonna trust that I won't turn around to find a knife handle in my back, just like how Cassy had chosen to trust you for now. It's up to you whether you want to walk on eggshells around us," he finished, his fingers still pressed on her head, and then she felt the feeling slowly return to her limbs and her chest filled with much needed breath.

She watched as the pilot got up from the seat next to her and moved to leave, just as she was able to finally pick her head up from the table.

"That's it?" she asked him.

He turned and the goofy grin was back in place on his face, "Well, just keep in mind…Cassifras can kill you with his voice."

And he left her with that little reminder to ponder over until her legs weren't jelly anymore. She would need the time to think her life choices.

* * *

Gabriel exited the infirmary and was about to step up the stairs that would take him to the control room when he was stopped suddenly by a warm and familiar wall blocking his path. The pilot glanced up…and up until his eyes hesitantly met those of Sam's concerned ones.

"Gabe…what was that?"

"What was what?" he retorted innocently.

Sam didn't smile, "Why didn't you tell me? Better yet, why didn't you tell Dean? She betrayed us and you're not doing a thing about it?"

Gabriel sighed and gold met hazel, "I didn't tell you because I'm not about to upset the odd harmony that this ship seems to work on. And I'm pretty sure that's the same reason why Cas never said anything either. So just…drop it for now? Please? We keep her happy and we keep our home. Do you get that?" Gabriel asked him desperately.

"I get it…well, not really, but I'm going to trust you for now, but I'll be watching Meg," he cupped Gabriel's chin and held him still, locking his gaze, "I'm not going to say anything, but if she so much as flinches in the wrong direction, nothing is going to stop be from burning her. I'm not going to let her hurt you, or your brothers."

"Good, we're all on the same boat then," the pilot grinned.

"Yeah, about the boat…seems like we have a little problem…"

* * *

And that earlier part when they were all like "damn, she f*ed up our ship" my roommate was all like "Morons! That's why you never let the bitch out da kitchen!" jkjk she would have prob poisoned the food anyway XD

Next chapter is the last one for this episode! Please read the warnings in the next post, just in case.


	14. Chapter 14

Notes: Last chapter guys! And it's a bit on the long side, but I doubt that bothers you XD I gotta tell you guys tho, I was incredibly nervous writing this, so I do hope that it all goes well. And if you want things to get more "graphic" and I will happily do my best to comply. I'm actually planning on upping the ante anyways, but if you're more comfortable as is...well then I'll see what I can do :) Love ya guys! And Review if you get a chance!

leahelisabeth: Oh, but I have even more in plan for her! And as for the warnings...I'm working up to it, but I won't leave you guys hanging ;)

otex: Lol, so am I! I'm so bad at guessing what comes next, but I wanted to add twists as much as possible so that the episode re-writes don't get boring! And hurt!Dean is fun mostly because it means I get to include Cas schmoopy times after XD And then, BAMF Cas is the shiz.

ship. me: Lots more funny to come! I'm doing my best to make the next episode as light as possible, just cause I need a little break from the drama. Even if it's only a little bit!

Disclaimer: Awesome levels are still to high to take on these fandoms, so I still don't think its right for me to own them.

Warning: Steamy...may cause fogging of glasses. So do not read while operating a car and don't read in a public area XD But seriously, if you don't want to read steamy then the second half of this chapter is a no-no for you. There is one little bit at the very end you might wanna check out though for plot purposes.

* * *

CHAPTER 14

He swore that he could hear his ass cheeks sizzling away like steaks on a grill as he continued to sit on the rock, staring out at the wide expanse of sand. It had only been a few hours, but Dean was never one to be able to sit around doing nothing for hours on end. He preferred to keep his hands as occupied as his thoughts, so as to keep his mind from wandering to darker places.

But right now, he had plenty good things to think about. Like how he would be able to see Cas soon and their whole "fight" would be over and done with and the crew could go on being happy and blissful.

He would be the first to admit that the last few days had been mentally exhausting, keeping up the deception, making everyone believe that he and Cas were having 'relationship troubles', and soon enough his ship should be on their way to pick him up and save his burnt ass.

And then he heard the familiar engines and turned with a grin to where the sounds of a shuttle touching down near him rumbled.

The grin grew even wider, letting bits of the dirt and grit get into his teeth, but he didn't stop as the hatch opened up to reveal Cas coming down the ramp, a blanket held in his hands.

Dean wasted no time and rushed right up to greet him, bringing him in for a tight embrace followed by a deep kiss that Cas returned enthusiastically. And they both stood there in each other's arms, not feeling the hot sun beat down on them as they let their lips be reacquainted.

Finally they pulled back for a breath, "That was…thorough," Cas commented on the kiss.

"Just checking to make sure your tonsils are still there. It's been a few days after all," Dean smirked and moved in again only to have a blanket shoved in his face, " Dean, as much as I would like to continue this, you are starting to resemble a tomato, the crew is waiting, and not to mention…this island will have a few police cruisers flying over it soon," Cas reminded him sadly, adjusting the blanket to cover Dean's shoulder's and frowning when the hem only reached down to his waste.

"Apologies, I thought that this would uh, cover things…Perhaps if you put it around your waste?"

Laughing, Dean shook his head, "Nah, no worries man. Don't you like what you see?"

"I like it plenty. What I don't like is other people liking what they _shouldn't_ see," Cas said with a growl vibrating in his throat, pulling Dean down once again and consuming his mouth. Then he slipped his coat from his shoulders and placed it over Dean.

"That should do. Balthazar will awaken soon, and I really don't wish for him to try to start another game of strip poker once he sees your state of undress. I suggest we take our leave of this place."

Dean nodded and followed Cas onto the shuttle, settling himself in the chair next to Balthazar and starting up the engines again. As he triggered the shuttle's tracking mechanism, he took note of the location of the Impala, seeing that it was only about a ten minute flight away. Not bad. Home was near.

He quickly set the course, sent the auto recall on the shuttle that Bela had stolen, and then both shuttles were off.

After hours in the sun, the shade and machine controlled environment of the shuttle sent chills through his body where his skin was exposed to the air, and he pulled Cas' coat tighter around him. The action made the scent of the coat and Cas waft over him, sending a whole different kind of chill through him that stirred him in a way that made it so he had to adjust the coat once again.

Maybe he should slow it down a bit. Ten minutes might not be enough to get himself all calmed down to be decent for his crew. It didn't help at all that Cas kept throwing him all of those knowing looks…

Dude might not be fully aware of what was going on half the time, but he knew damn well what he was doing right now.

* * *

It took the whole crew by surprise when the proximity alarm went off to show the approach of one of their shuttles. Their thoughts questioned, was it Cas and Balthazar returning early, or did Dean best Bela and it was him returning? Then a second alarm went off, signaling the return of the second shuttle. They all exchanged glances and then ran at break neck speed to the catwalk to await the opening of the hatches and for their questions and worry to be quelled.

The first door opened up and they all held their breath, not entirely sure why, but it opened up to reveal Anna's shuttle, and it was empty, nobody walked out. They all swiveled their heads to the other shuttle and stared at the door until it finally slid open and a very much whole, and a very much sunburned Dean walked out smiling like an idiot, Cas under his arm.

"Dean!"

"Captain!"

"Jesus, what happened to your face?"

"Where's Bela?"

"What the hell happened out there?"

"Where the hell are your clothes?"

Dean silenced his crew with a patient hand held in the air to stop them pelting him with questions, "Don't worry, guys. Everything is fine and Bela has been taken care of thanks to Cas here," Dean said smugly, giving the man under his arm a gentle squeeze.

"But she messed with the Impala again! She made it so we couldn't steer the ship. We thought that she was planning on attacking you and taking off with the gun," Chuck said, so jumbled and surprised at the whole situation that he didn't even stutter.

Calmly Cas reached into the pocket of the coat that Dean had on and silently pulled out and held up The Mexican for all to see. Dean grinned at their stunned expressions, "Well, I call this a win."

Cas frowned and nudged the Captain in the ribs, "You would call it a win? What about the part where you were stranded in the middle of the desert alone, with no clothes I might add," he said sternly.

"All according to plan," Dean assured him with a quick peck on the other man's cheek.

All around them the crew was floundering, drowning really, in the sea of questions that clogged their throats. Their confusion must have been plain on their faces because Dean's brow furrowed when he looked at them, "What? I got something on my face?"

"Well, you do look a little red," Chuck offered.

"I think what Chuckie is trying to say is "the fuck?". I mean…boy, what the hell happened? How did you drop Bela, and where is she now, why the hell do you look like a piece of rare red meat, how come you and Cas aren't fighting anymore, and last of all…What plan?!" Bobby grouched. Here he had been worrying over the Captain's sanity for the last two days, worrying over Cas' stability along with that, and he had been working on a nice speech to give Dean when he got back on how to fix things with his man, only to have it look like the whole crew had been played like a fiddle.

Sam was right there with the preacher and had crossed his arms over his chest, pouting a bit as he waited for his brother to explain.

At least Dean had the decency to look a little ashamed, but Cas was the one who stepped in.

"I think what Dean means is that it was _one_ of our plans. There was about a quarter of the alphabet involved with the many scenarios that we had thought up while Bela was still in her box and we were flying back to the ship. Many complex equations, wavelengths of emotion to consider…I could draw you a diagram…" Cas offered and was about to go grab his crayons when Dean held him back with a chuckle.

"After Bela told me her plan, I knew then that she was going try and hump us once we got the goods, so I let her believe that I was desperate, and stupid, to play it out. Cas was in on it from the moment that I brought that crate on the shuttle. He knew who was in there and of course, he wasn't happy."

"So you two really were fighting?" Gabriel asked, looking between the two as if their faces would give the answer away, but all he saw were two matching guilty expressions.

Dean squeezed Cas' arm again, "No, not really. I told him that I knew Bela had a plan and that I wanted to play it out. We really did need the money and Cas trusted me enough to at least play along with my idea."

"And what was your idea?" Bobby asked tiredly.

"That Dean and I would pretend to be cross with one another. It would make Bela believe that Dean was distracted and that her plan was working, but I'm afraid that I almost…"dropped the ball"," he mimicked quotes in the air, "I told Dean that I wasn't good at lying or acting. I have enough of a hard time being Cas, let alone trying to be someone else."

Dean chuckled again, "Yeah. Cas' got one hell of a poker face, but for the life of him, can't cheat or lie worth a shit. So I told him that if he thought he was going to give something away, he should turn his face away, stop talking, or just leave the room."

"That's what all the weird glancing and moodiness was," Gabriel stated, not really a question at this point. He couldn't believe that he had missed that, "Wait…what about the argument you two had on the shuttle before they left?"

Now both of them looked a bit sheepish. They glanced at one another, silently deciding on Dean to answer that one, "Uh, well, we had to make it believable, so we decided that we would have to have a fight. Cas wasn't sure if he could pull it off, so I told him to think of something that actually bugged him about me and to yell it. Didn't think that something like that would come up though…"

"It seemed logical. All of those televid programs we have watched, the only thing they seem to fight about it sex. I only followed their example," Cas defended.

A giant guffaw leaped from Dean's mouth, "I know! Almost everything you did looked like it came straight out of a daytime program! I was so proud!"

"I told you that they would be a bad influence on him! I'm putting a limit on your tv time," Gabriel snorted into Sam's shoulder. All this worrying over everything, only to find out that it was unnecessary, now they all felt like going into hysterical relieved laughter.

Sam wasn't laughing yet. He felt relieved that everything was good with Dean, but he was still unsure why he had to be left out, "So you planned on…getting dumped in the desert and what? Sending Cas and Balthazar away was actually you sending them to pick up the gun?"

"The original plan was for me to act as a failsafe in case everything went wrong. Like, for instance, if Bela disabled the Impala and left Dean for dead. Dean had hoped to be able to avoid any problems by watching Bela closely on the heist."

Dean frowned at Cas and poked him hard in the side, "Nonsense. If I hadn't let Bela take the shuttle then you wouldn't have gotten to do anything. I was doing you a favor. How would you have felt if you got left out of the plan?"

"Heartbroken," he deadpanned, making Dean grin.

"See then? All according to plan!"

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Then they all heard a groan from inside the shuttle and a sleep drunk Balthazar came stumbling out, dazedly looking around at the rest of the crew gathered.

"Hello, all. What did I miss?"

* * *

"I saw that look on your face earlier. You shouldn't be angry with Dean for not letting you in one the plan. With those big ol' puppy eyes of yours, you're about as good as hiding emotions as Cassy-bear."

After Balthazar had been updated on the happenings, Meg had gotten up and about, they picked up a clueless Anna from her appointment, and the Mexican was stored somewhere safe, the crew had all simultaneously decided that it had been a gorramned long day and that food could wait till tomorrow. All of them headed off to their beds.

Now Gabriel was laying belly down on his and Sam's shared bed, munching on another chocolate bad and watching as the younger Winchester got changed. One of the pilot's favorite pastimes. He knew that Sam was still sour over the whole thing. It showed in how he stooped his head so that his hair covered his face. How is shoulders would move stiffly instead of the flowing and almost gangly way they usually did. And most of all, in the lips.

The edges were turned down just so, in a way that right away clued Gabriel in on the dour attitude that his lover held.

"I'm not angry, I'm just…I don't like being reminded that I'm not the first person that Dean turns to anymore. We never used to keep things from each other," Sam threw over his naked shoulder as he climbed into the bed next to the pilot.

"Oh, Sammy. We both know that's not true. You're brothers, yeah, but you're still different people. I'm sure that you have held back a few things before. Hell, just an few hours ago you decided that you weren't going to tell Dean about what Meg did!"

Sam groaned into his pillow, "That's different! That's to keep the ship from going to hell in a hand basket when Dean goes on a mad rampage when he finds out that Meg almost sold his boyfriend to the Host."

"And what do you think Dean kept the whole Bela thing on the down low for? Grins and giggles? He did it because it was the best and easiest way to get the goods without us getting humped by Bela again. He didn't do it to spite anyone, just protect and preserve his crew…that includes you by the way."

"I guess so….I kind of wish that I could read minds though, like Cas can so that I would know what Dean was thinking. How to help him. He does so much for me and…I want to be able to do something for him, you know?" Sam started to trail his fingers over Gabriel's arm.

"The only thing fun about being able to read minds is all of the exciting dirty thoughts that you would get to overhear. And you do plenty for Dean, don't you forget that. You are his support, you are the reason he has gotten up in the morning for years, you always have his back…and you keep me sated so that I don't drive him mad when I'm not getting laid regularly."

Now Gabriel had propped himself up a bit on his arms, and waving the half eaten chocolate bar in Sam's face for emphasis. Dully, Sam watched the candy bounce in his vision before grabbing at it as quick as a snake and taking a huge bite out of it.

"Hey! That's my last one!" the pilot whined.

Sam grinned, all signs of his earlier ire gone, "Not for long. Since my brother is a genius and got us the gun, we'll be able to hock it and finally get some money. You can buy as many chocolate bars as you want," Sam said smugly and took another bite that almost completely finished it off.

With a playful growl, Gabriel leaped on top of Sam, pinning down the long arms, but Sam easily was able to free the one that held the remainder and took another bite with his mouth before Gabe could snatch it away. Only a small bit was left and he held it firmly in his hand where Gabe couldn't even claw it out.

He let the chocolate melt in his mouth and savored the rich taste as Gabriel pouted above him. Then the twinkle came back to the pilot's eye and he dove down at Sam's mouth, latching on with his lips and letting his tongue sweep the insides, tasting the chocolate and Sam all in one go. He didn't pull back until the sweet taste was all but gone and pulled back to look at the man beneath him.

The kiss had done far more than just excite. The younger man's face was flushed and his eyes had darkened as they dilated with lust. A small scoot back from Sam's abdomen let Gabriel know that far more had been awakened is their little session. They both shared a feral grin, teeth flashing in the semi-darkness and then they dove at each other, remaining clothes flung onto the floor is passionate haste.

Hands started to roam, rubbing, squeezing, caressing everything they could reach. Eager and wanting, Gabriel reached down between them and grabbed both of their lengths in his fist and started to pump in a rough rhythm that got them both panting and groaning with pent up need.

So as to not make his partner do all the work, Sam reached his long arm over to the bedside dresser, pulling out a little tube and squirting some of the contents on his fingers. Gabriel was so focused on the feel of the heat between them, the friction of them rubbing together, that he was taken by surprise when Sam pulled him down for another smoldering kiss that took his breath away. And in that moment, Gabriel only felt their lips crashing together.

It was a technique that Sam used often to tease in the first finger, making everything easier when all was said and done. Lucky for him though, Gabriel was so eager and so pliant that they never had to wait long before they could get to the best part.

And tonight was no different. Not two minutes later, Sam was on his back, thrusting up to meet Gabriel as the older man lowered himself down, pistoning his hips for Sam to get the best angle that would make him completely forget about the stolen chocolate.

They kept up the rhythmic motion but soon as the pressure built, the pace went up. The animalistic need for release was too much for either of them to try and slow it down, to drag it on longer. Soon both of them were meeting each other thrust for thrust, perfectly in sync as they reached the climax.

All it took was only slight change in the angle of his hips for Sam to send Gabriel over the edge, and the look of pure bliss in release on the other man's face was the trigger for Sam as he let go with one last strong thrust up into his partner.

Gabriel fell onto Sam's sweaty chest, finally spent and as gooey as the rest of the melted chocolate bar that Sam still had clenched in his fist.

Sam noticed the pilot's gaze travel to his hand where he noticed the candy had started to drip down his wrist. He chuckled, "You still want the rest?" he asked playfully.

Gabriel smiled back at him, "Nah, I'm good for now, just…don't wash your hand. I may want to lick it off later."

Sam let out a loud snort, "Yeah, sure. Only if you promise a little more licking along with it."

"Oh, but of course. Common curtest and all that. I am nothing if not a gentleman."

* * *

At the other end of the hall, Dean and Cas were also settling down for the night. Like most nights, they had opted to stay in the nest knowing that Cas was far more comfortable in there. From his spot by the dresser, Dean glanced at Cas who was tucking his plants in for the night.

He had a little ritual thing going on with Fern that was kinda of a therapy according to Bobby. Each night he would go through the vines and untangle them to the best of his ability, kind of like combing hair, and then he would make sure that both the plant and the flower that was still in full bloom after all of these months had water enough for the next day. He would talk to them, tell them what they had missed during the day, commented on their leaves and petals. And since today had been so full of news, Cas had spent a little bit longer than usual muttering to them.

It was all right by Dean though. He wasn't about to start feeling jealous of a freaking plant as he slowly started to pull off his shirt and moved to the bed to wait. Cas had already healed the sunburn earlier, as well as the blisters on his feet, and had even healed the bruises that he had gotten from the fight with the police. Cas didn't seem to be worn out in the least at the minuscule healing, and while Dean was happy about that, he was also a little disappointed.

Cas had been great with the whole being by his side at night, watching over him like a creepy stalker of sorts, but some nights he just had to do something to occupy the hours that everyone else slept. Reading helped, staring at Dean helped, but it was every few nights that the Captain would wake and have a momentary second of panic when he couldn't find Cas in his arms.

He had done the same thing when Sam and he were younger. His little brother had always slept in the bed right next to his. And in the war when Sam had joined up, he never slept more than a few feet away, and anytime that Dean woke in the night to not see Sammy where he should be, well, it scared him to be honest. They had grown up and Dean had learned to let go, but with Cas…

….With Cas there were too many things out there trying to take him away.

Pulling himself from dark thoughts, he lifted his gaze the where the other man was leaning over the dresser as he finished up his report of the day, giving the Captain a wonderful view of his backside. A sight not too often seen since he usually wore that coat at all times. Thankfully Dean had thought ahead and had tossed it across a chair before Cas could put it back on.

Probably sensing his thoughts, Cas smirked over his shoulder, stood up and walked over to the bed, pulling his own shirt off along the way. As the bed dipped with the added weight, Dean smiled and pulled the other man down to lay next to him, moving in on Cas' neck right away and breathing deep in between nibbles and kisses.

"So you staying in bed tonight or what?" Dean asked as he moved his attention and lips down to Cas' collarbone.

As answer, Cas moaned and used his hands to guide Dean's face back up to his where they could meet brush their lips together. As they continued the embrace, his slight fingers traced down Dean's strong jaw, then down his neck, then further down his chest to rub his hand over his heart, accidentally touching a nipple, making Dean gasp and then moan.

In turn, Dean wasn't about to let his own hands be idle, and one was scooped up behind Cas' head, fingers clenched in his wavy brown hair. The second hand held firmly to Cas' hip, right above where the pant line started, effectively pinning the smaller man to the mattress.

That's when Cas felt it. The warm, sporadic flame that would start in his belly that got hotter and hotter as Dean's touch continued. And he could feel the echo of it along the glow of his partner. He had felt this before, many times. It was right about now that Dean would throw on the breaks and pull back.

Sensing the end of the warmth for the night, Cas pulled back reluctantly, breaking him off from Dean.

"Hey, where are you going?" Dean asked in a husky voice, one of his fingers guiding Cas' chin to face him.

"Conflicting thoughts and emotions always stop us here," Cas pointed out wearily.

Dean used the hand he had cupped behind Cas' head to pull him close again, so close that their lips brushed as Dean spoke, "I'm sorry I pushed you away before. It's what I do when I'm concerned."

"What are you afraid of?"

"It's not fear, it's concern."

"Monsters born of the same stalk," Cas pushed back gently, rubbing his thumb over Dean's bottom lip.

His eyes fluttering shut at the touch, Dean sighed, "Fine. I'm just _afraid_ of hurting you. Making things worse."

Cas continued to stroke the pad of his thumb over the plump flesh, "It is hard for an egg to turn into a bird, and it would be a lot harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. One cannot go on indefinitely being an egg. One must be hatched or go bad."

Dean mulled that around in his head, "So…is that some weird way of saying that what happens happens and we shouldn't let it hold us back?"

"And continuing with the metaphor, I may be scrambled, but I can also be made over-hard."

Dean's eyes widened comically, "Dude! Did you just make a sex joke?"

Cas painted on a look of pure innocence, "Don't be ridiculous," and to cover up the smirk that was making its way across his face, he went in for a quick kiss, only to have Dean latch on and pull him closer. The flame that Cas had felt earlier rose higher in Dean, and Cas' leaped in response.

As well as key features to their anatomy.

But neither of them was put off by the heated change, instead it only pushed them on with more feverent need. Their soft moans and gasps started to gain in volume, and then became mewls of pleasure as the wonderful pressure built.

He was lost in a crashing sea of wondrous feeling when he was brought back to reality when he felt Dean's fingers brush at the elastic waste of his pants and hesitate there, hovering over the skin in a way that told him that Dean was asking permission in his own way.

As answer he bucked his hips up, making sure to rub himself against Dean in a way that would give him without a doubt the knowledge that Cas was totally on board with this. And the hovering fingers slid under the hem and pulled down, revealing Cas completely to him.

A whispered, "beautiful…" and Dean mouth was back on Cas' collar bone as he gripped Cas' length in his hand, stroking his thumb slowly in circles over the head.

The smaller man threw his head back with a soft whine as the hand started to move faster, twisting and jerking in all the right ways.

"Dean…" he gasped and his Captain smiled up at him, stopping his ministrations for the moment.

"What is it, Cas?"

"I want to see more."

And Dean complied, slowly removing the rest of his clothes and soon freeing himself for Cas to gaze upon in awe. They move back into their original embrace, and pressed themselves close, so close that every inch of them met, and then with a small thrust of his hips, Cas signaled to Dean to continue.

Slowly at first they rubbed together, both pulling gasps of pleasure from their partner and chanting each other's names as they started to speed up, the friction sending sporadic waves of pleasure that sent shivers through their entire being. Dean could feel every glorious inch of skin sliding across his own and even just that simple contact was enough to make his head swim. Enjoying one's own company was one thing, but when with someone else...someone you care about, everything got put into high definition and literally rocked his world.

Cas seemed to be lost in another dimension of lust as his words stopped sounding like words and instead dissolved into murmured growls and purrs. He had never felt something like this before, but instinct and just knowing what would feel good was what drove him to keep the movement from dying out. He knew each time that he ground harder, he always pulled a sharp gasp from Dean. He liked that little gasp. He also like the spark in Dean that erupted each time he did it.

Never let it be said that Cas wasn't a fast learner. Taking charge, he bucked up enough to allow him to roll on top of Dean, switching their places but somehow managing not to break the rhythm. The surprised and then playful look that Dean sent him had Cas smirking right back. Now that Cas was the one doing more of the work, that left Dean's hands free to roam.

And roam they did. Back when he had given Cas his nightly messages, he had found a lot of pressure points that would make the other man mewl and arch, and this night he put those spots to use, starting at the shoulder blades where he dug his fingers in tight. Right away he felt Cas spine bend into the contact, seaking more of the wonderful and soothing pressure.

He continued to trail his fingers further down, stopping and hitting each sweet spot along the way until he finally reached the dip of his hips and let his hands rest on his partners ass as the speed started to pick up.

They giddy feel of a first time with someone they loved brought the pace up quickly, the crescendo of pressure coming faster than they would have hoped, but that didn't make the release any less sweet as Cas finally let go, falling on top of Dean as he too reached the breaking point. And they lay there together in each other's arms as they panted through the after-glow.

After a few blissful moments had passed, they finally moved to arrange themselves in the bed for the night, Dean's exhaustion becoming apparent by his drooping eyelids.

"You gonna be here when I wake up?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes before reaching to turn off the light.

Next to him Cas suddenly yawned enough to make his jaw crack and he smiled dreamily over at Dean, "Of course. I think perhaps I can sleep tonight after all. "

"Awesome. Maybe I'll bring you some breakfast in bed tomorrow. Think we have some powdered eggs somewhere…"

"That's not how I like my eggs, Dean."

* * *

For the hundredth time since she had been put in this cell, she cursed the name of Winchester and that little bed bug of his. Just as promised, only about twenty minutes after he had left, the police had shown up and gotten her out of the dumpster and hauled her ass to the station.

Haymer was there waiting, giving descriptions of the man with her, telling them what had been stolen, how much money he would slip under the table to see her get the worst sentence possible….He wouldn't even look at her and that was just fine by her. She didn't want him to see her so low, covered in garbage, stench of failure and rotten fruit wafting off of her.

After the initial hullabaloo of getting statements and taking her finger prints, she was left alone in her cell, two guards across the room with their eyes and guns trained on her. No amount of flirting would work in her favor this time. The grime that still clung to her kind of deterred her chances at impressing them.

It was almost three in the morning by her reckoning when she heard the door to the cell open. She cracked on grimy eye open to see two men walk into the small room she was being held in. One was tall, wore a leather coat and sunglasses. The other had a serpent look about him, skinny face and thin nose. Both of them sent shivers down her spine as instinct told her that these two were dangerous.

The snake guy sat down on the bed next to her, and she drew up her feet to keep as far away as possible. She glanced to where the guards from earlier were standing, only to see that they had left. She was alone in the room with these men.

"What do you want?" she asked finally.

His voice was just as reptilian as the rest of him, coming out in a hiss, "We just wanted to talk to you about your friend from the heist. Seems he fits a description of someone we've been looking for."

A small flicker of hope sparked in her eyes. Perhaps not all was lost. If these guys were after Dean, maybe she could make a deal.

"Maybe I can help you…" she said with a raised eyebrow, her intention obvious. She would give info if they gave something in return.

"Excellent," and he looked to the man in the cell with him and held out his hand. Sunglasses pulled a paper from his coat and handed it over. Snake presented it to her and she couldn't hide the surprise at the face she saw looking back at her. It was the bed bug.

"Ah, I see that you recognize him, right?" he asked when he saw her reaction.

She schooled her features, "Maybe…"

"Well, maybe I'd like you to tell me what you know of him. Did he seem…different? Special? Odd in any way?"

As he spoke, he casually pulled a wicked looking knife from his coat and started to twirl it in his fingers, and Bela knew that she would get nothing now. She saw her death reflected in that knife, and she had no doubts that whether she said something or nothing, there would be no change to her fate, only how long it would be to get to the destination.

"Come on, tell me something. I know you're a very smart girl and you're very observant. You must have noticed something…tell me, how was his health? Did he have troubles with say…his back?

As much as she wanted to stick it to Dean, she was more of a mind to stick it to those who were about to take her life. With a confidence and fire that had been her tools for years, she met his cold eyes, "Never seen him before in my life."

"Well, that's a shame…"

And Alistair moved the knife across her skin...

* * *

Oh, shiz! Bela you are so screwed now, but you had it coming! And as for steamy scenes, I do want to make them more...graphic, but I wont if that bothers a lot of you.

Next Story should be up tomorrow! It'll be called "Old Friends Die Hard". Check it out! ;)


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